Your Wish is My Command
by AniMeViEtGrl
Summary: When today's fortune had read 'disatrous occurences await you', he had a feeling it pertained to the blonde genie floating in his living room...InoShika
1. First Wish

_**Title: **__You're Wish is My Command_

_**Genre:**__ Romance/Comedy/AU_

_**Rating:**__ K+_

_**Warning:**__ None that I can think of…maybe a bit ooc…_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own it._

* * *

_**First Wish**_

In all nineteen years of his troublesome life Shikamaru Nara had never been one to show much emotion. Of course he would smile every so often and his frowns were becoming as common to him as breathing. But Shikamaru was not one to get _**surprised**_. With his sharp deductive skills and I.Q. of over 200 he would find his brain automatically coming up with a logical explanation no matter how ridiculous the predicament was. One could not be surprised if one has already seen it coming no?

…

But _**this!**_

_**This**_ was not something he could just merely rack his intellectual system of a brain for.

_**This**_ was something of a whole other level…

_**This**_ was just plain…_**odd**_…

Light cerulean orbs peered at him curiously before the owner of those eyes cleared her throat roughly.

"Uh, hellooo? Did you not hear me?" the blonde repeated with a hint of annoyance in her voice from the lack of response she was getting. When no answer came the girl floated down towards him and waved her hand before his face to snap him from his daze.

Shikamaru's gawking had finally ceased and he quickly clamped his mouth shut. After analyzing the situation further he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in deep thought. Okay, so this wasn't a dream; he knew that for certain and he wasn't going to act stupid and _**pinch**_ himself to prove it. Furthermore, he didn't take drugs or drink alcohol so 'hallucination' was definitely out. It wasn't 'disease' either for he was sure he was not sick.

Shikamaru sighed. Maybe it had finally happened.

Pity.

He had gone and gotten himself CRAZY…

…

Wait…

Maybe that wasn't it either since he was positive the first thing he would start seeing from the view of a madman would NOT be a _**genie**_…maybe a talking chair or something but _come on_, a _**GENIE**_??

The girl frowned, obviously familiar with this type of reaction.

"Hnn. So we have another doubter amidst…"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully and floated back a few steps as her tail hovered a few inches from the ground. After a brief moment of contemplating she hammered her palm thoughtfully.

"Ah! Alright then! Will you believe me if I do this?" The stranger asked innocently before snapping her fingers.

Shikamaru blinked, anticipating for something to happen. When nothing came however, he was about to question the blonde when all of a sudden he felt a chill sweep lightly across his back. In an instant his eyes cast downwards to find his shirt missing…

"WAUGH!" Shikamaru cried as he backed away, thankfully catching himself before he had the chance to trip over his own feet.

The bizarrely dressed girl giggled.

"So, do you believe me now oh pointy haired one?" she asked and grinned triumphantly, crossing her arms across her lavender yukata styled top (A/N: Think of an exact replica of Kasumi's white outfit from DOA). Somewhere in the back of his head the Nara Spawn was thankful to her now covered cleavage.

Shikamaru managed a glare on her despite the small blush creeping on his cheeks.

"Okay. Sure. Whatever…Can I have my shirt back now?" he grumbled in annoyance, glancing at the clock on his wall anxiously. He had less then ten minutes…

The blonde wrinkled her nose in disdain.

"Geez, you humans are all the same! No manners!" she scoffed and shrugged helplessly as if all of humankind were doomed. Shikamaru scowled all the while throwing her an exasperated look.

"Okay fine! Would you _**please**_ give me my shirt back genie?" he asked hurriedly as he peered at the clock. The spiritual being scowled and gave him a look of displeasure.

"For your future references pointy hair, my name is _**NOT**_ 'genie'. It's Ino!" She retorted haughtily while wagging a scolding finger at him. She sighed and shook her head in a shameful gesture.

"What is it with me and getting rude masters…?" she muttered distastefully.

The boy knitted his brows in frustration.

"Hold on! I am _**not**_ your master!" he declared gruffly and walked over to his kitchen, grabbing his broom when his eyes landed on the shards of broken glass strewn across the floor.

Ino tsked behind him.

"On the contrary, you have released me from my slumber so that makes you my master…unfortunately" she replied matter-of-factly while whispering the last bit regretfully. She glided along after her new client (as she liked to call them) and viewed her surroundings. Shikamaru ignored the genie and rolled his eyes.

"But it was an accident! I mean, what kind of genie lives inside a _**bottle of sake**_?! And I didn't even rub it! I just popped the top off!" he argued as he swept up what was left of Ino's house. The blonde frowned and silently trailed him back to his kitchen.

"Are you sure you're even a genie? You sure don't dress like one…" Shikamaru retorted as he threw away the shards of glass and glanced at her skimpy attire from the corner of his eye.

Ino frowned and crossed her arms under her chest.

"For your information, we genies do not dress according to your typical 'Aladdin' stereotype! I'm a dignified _**majin**_!"

A brief minute of silence filled the room before Shikamaru rolled his eyes once again and walked back to the dining room to clean up the remaining sake on the floor. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh I see now. Right. A _**Japanese**_ genie? Do you guys even have races?" he retorted and shook his head in disbelief. Ino merely shrugged and watched him quietly as he crouched down to wipe the liquid off the floor. When he finally finished he stood up and walked back towards the kitchen. The genie's eyes drifted to Shikamaru's two feet and after a moment of contemplating, she snapped her fingers and a poof of smoke appeared around her tail, transforming it into two slender legs. A mirror appeared before the genie and she observed her appearance carefully.

Shikamaru finished rinsing off his dish towel and set it next to the sink.

"Look uh, Ino was it? Can I just have my shirt back now? That was the only presentable one I owned" he asked as he reentered the dining room to make sure everything was acceptable.

Ino peered at the cloth covered table set for two. She smiled and turned around to face him, her mirror vanishing behind her.

"I'm sure your date will find this attire more…_**presentable**_ 'master'…after all, it's the only thing you seem to have going for you" she scoffed disappointedly and smirked when the boy blushed hotly in response while throwing her an icy glare. Ino examined her new master from the corner of her eye.

She wasn't one to lie about people's looks and she wasn't going to start now. Pointy hair here was actually quite the head turner. And not just the "oh, he's cute" kind of head turner either. It was like…like the "Oh man I'd _**hit that**_" kind of head turner. Then again she always had a thing for these types of guys so it was all just her own opinion.

Her cerulean eyes shifted to roam his muscular build and she licked her lips unconsciously. Snapping out of her trance Ino locked gazes with his.

"Oh! That's right! I'm going to need a name…unless you want me to call you pointy hair from now on…"

Shikamaru seemed to ponder the question before replying flatly.

"Nara Shikamaru"

Surprised that he had actually given her a name Ino eyed him once again.

"Hmm…it strangely suits you…_**deer boy**_…I like it" she teased as her eyes twinkled with mischief. Shikamaru ignored her overused joke and fixed the wrinkles from his shirt the genie had finally decided to give back. Ino walked around his small apartment complex and peered at the wondrous things before her with a child like fascination.

She picked up a small reflective silver-like contraption with a white apple in the center of it. Pressing the center button on what she guessed was the front side, her eyes shined when the once blank screen lit up instantly.

"Whoa! You humans and your gadgets never cease to amaze me…" the blonde complimented and gasped as the list of words scrolled down when she skimmed her fingers across the lower part of the device.

Shikamaru glanced at her briefly before buttoning up his shirt.

"Look, are you really serious about the genie thing? I mean, what, am I supposed to have my 'wishes' granted?"

Ino's attention remained captured by his I-pod and her brows corrugated together.

"Of course, if it weren't for the rules I'd be outta this dump by now"

The boy's mouth curved downwards.

"Do I really have to do this? I don't have any wishes" Shikamaru stated as he pulled his collar up.

Ino rolled her eyes.

"That's a bunch of crap! _**Everyone**_ has something they want!" she retorted as if it were the truth of all truths. Shikamaru frowned.

"Actually…no, I'm pretty content with my life so if you could I'd like to call off this whole genie deal"

Ino sighed. Deer boy was an unusual one she'd give him that. She placed the I-pod back on the table and placed her hand at her hip.

"Oh come on, do you think I'm that stupid? What'll it be? Fame? Fortune? You have five wishes to waste Nara"

The boy raised a questioning brow.

"Five? Wasn't it supposed to be three wishes?"

Ino scanned her nails quietly.

"_Was_, past tense. We genies have decided to take pity on you humans because you people always seem to botch up the first two wishes"

Shikamaru seemed thoughtful for a moment but then lazily shrugged it off. With a quick snap of her fingers a lavender leather bound book appeared in her hands. She flipped to the first page and despite the boy's efforts at convincing the genie that he didn't want to make any wishes; Ino had already cleared her throat and had decided to enumerate the rules so deer boy would know his place.

"Rule one, you can not reveal our identities to others, if that happens you automatically lose your genie privileges"

Shikamaru remained ignorant to her recitations but Ino knew he was still listening.

"Rule two, we genies can not manipulate peoples' hearts, so no wishing for so and so to love me blah blah blah. Rule three, No time traveling, enough said. Rule four, No world domination, you have _**no idea**_ how hectic it was before that rule was enforced" The blonde shook her head and then began a long murmur of rants about a guy with the first name Adolf and the last name Hitler.

Ino realized that she was getting off topic and cleared her throat again.

"Rule five, you can not wish for anyone's death. Rule six, no wishing for more wishes and…" The blonde paused, for dramatic effect Shikamaru supposed.

"Lastly, rule seven, you can not use your wishes on your genie. That means no 'setting them free', no enslaving them as your own, no stealing their powers…"

Ino paused to see if her client was listening. He was.

"Well, that's pretty much all of it..."

With her rules recited she closed the book, making it disappear in the blink of an eye. Crossing her arms over her chest the blonde sighed. She glanced around the small apartment and wrinkled her nose in disdain.

"Aaaand since you broke my house, I have no choice but to stay with you until all your wishes are granted…" she stated matter-of-factly. Shikamaru frowned, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and shot her a frown.

"No way, go stay somewhere else…" he retorted easily, automatically earning himself a glare. Her eyes met his once again.

"Hellooo? Did you not listen to me for the past five minutes? I mean, it's bad enough that you're plain but _**deaf**_ too? Good grief!"

Ino sighed when Shikamaru remained immune to her verbal abuse. Placing her hands on her hips she opened her mouth for further explanation.

"Look deer boy, as much as I would **LOVE** to high tail it outta here I can't. By setting me free we have made an unbroken contract. Meaning, I can't leave until I grant you your five wishes"

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak but Ino cut him off abruptly.

"Up up up! Keep your shirt on! This is a once in a never chance! Are you _**really**_ going to waste such a good opportunity by making stupid wishes??"

Shikamaru was about to retort something witty back but the knock on his door brought his attention away from the spiritual being.

Looking at the clock he mentally cursed.

_Damn! I forgot!_

As he crossed the living room he paused to spare the girl a look.

The genie raised a delicate brow skywards.

"What? Shouldn't you get the door Romeo?" Ino retorted plainly as if the fact that she was standing in his room would not upset his date one bit. Shikamaru shook his head and continued his trek towards the front door. He would deal with this genie nonsense later. Hopefully his friend would forgive him for having another female in his room.

Yes, _friend_. NOT girlfriend. At least not that he knew of. I mean sure, he knew that Temari had feelings for him but he had clearly told her that he was not interested. She said she would wait for him and they could continue to hang out as FRIENDS. He had to be thankful to her for that. If it was any other girl he'd be drowned in so much drama to fill his mothers collection of 'Oh-gods-not-the-cliché-romances-please-kill-me-now' movies carefully arranged on the DVD case next to their flat screen TV. A straight guy can only take so much...

But today, since it was her birthday and all, he'd decided to play the nice, yet reluctant, guy friend and at least ask her out for a lunch date. It was the least he could do for having her deal with his crap for the last three years.

Yet suddenly he was regretting this moment.

_Damnit what a pain, why today of all days? I wish something would come up so I wouldn't have to go through with this…_

Scratching his head in frustration Shikamaru placed his hand on the brass knob and turned it ever slowly as if having finally reached the climax of his doom. He could have sworn he heard a soft snapping sound from the living room but he shook the thought off and he opened the door casually.

He was surprised to find Temari's back facing him with a cell phone pressed closely against her ear. She hissed into the receiver coldly.

"What?! How?!"

Shikamaru watched as a slight muffle from the other line sounded and Temari's shoulders slumped. The dirty blonde remained oblivious to his presence and gave a restrained sigh.

"Oh alright! Where are you?"

A few minutes passed and Shikamaru blinked when Temari's attention turned to him. With a forced smile she closed her flip phone hastily.

"Ah, well this sucks. Sorry Shikamaru, something just came up. Kankuro just called and said he just got into an accident and he needs me to pick him up. _**Unfortunately**_ nothing serious happened to the twit" Temari joked as she shook her head in disappointment despite the fact that Shikamaru knew that she was relieved for her brother. She shifted the purse strap on her shoulder and turned around after holding her hand apologetically in front of her face.

"I'm really sorry Shikamaru! Maybe next time!"

Shikamaru mustered a weak nod and watched silently as she quickly made her way down the stairs .

It wasn't until a couple minutes of confused silence passed when a familiar voice made its way to his ears.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you…don't think wishes either or they'll be granted!" Ino chirped from behind, ignoring the way his body stiffened in surprise. Shikamaru bit back his startled yelp and turned around to glare at her with a crazed look in his raven orbs.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Okay, get inside blondie! We need to _**talk**_!" he ordered as he pushed Ino inside. The girl scoffed and glared at him, mumbling something about rudeness and what a shame it was that chivalry was dead.

X

O

X

"Just _**what**_ do you think you're doing?"

A chorus of munches and crunches filled the silence.

"Vwaaching Teevwe" (Watching TV) she replied between bites.

Shikamaru's eyes scanned the living room, or at least what he hoped wasn't his living room... He'd been gone for four hours and his house had turned into a pigsty already! Candy wrappers littered the floor, ice cream cartons lay carelessly on the couch, cookie crumbs were sprinkled all over the carpet as if he housed a family of mice. Oh, and he didn't _**want**_ to know what that mysterious blob was sitting in the corner of the room…

To be frank, the room was so full of junk food it'd make a fat man _**want**_ to go anorexic!

Setting his bags down by the couch he turned to face his 'guest'.

"What the hell is this?! Did you have fun raiding my kitchen or was this the work of pixies!?" He barked sarcastically as he kicked at an ice cream carton only to grimace when an army of ants appeared from within.

Ino turned around and tossed him a questioning look. She stuffed her mouth with another handful of BBQ chips. She swallowed the salty chips before replying.

"This is me watching TV and not wanting to be _**disturbed**_. And another thing, pixies can do SO much worse" The female genie retorted calmly before turning her attention back to the screen. Shikamaru restrained the urge to strangle the girl as he clenched his teeth in frustration.

"You know, it's common courtesy to clean up what you started" he said matter-of-factly.

Ino watched the colored screen mindlessly.

"And I'm sure you know that it's _**NOT**_ 'common courtesy' to let your guests do the cleaning" she replied evenly.

Shikamaru glared daggers at the back of her head.

"Are all genies this stuck up?"

He would have preferred to use the 'B' word but consequences always seemed to follow afterwards. Ino snorted before stretching her arm out to lean over the back of the couch.

"Well, let's see how _**you**_ act after being imprisoned in a bottle for thousands of years and having to deal with fat old men who try to grope you every chance they get while you're granting their wishes!" she replied snippily, trying to concentrate on this 'drama' she came across while channel surfing. The plot was getting intense! The main girl had just gotten herself into a love triangle with the two richest boys in school!

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Well, could you at least poof everything away? _Please_?" he suggested, having to force out the last bit. He had other things to tend to and cleaning would just make his ever growing to-do list much harder.

Ino smiled.

"Put it in wish form and I will"

He would've taken this opportunity to groan but was clearly too lazy to do so.

"That's _cheap_!"

"Tch! Tell that to whoever made the rules. I can't use my magic unless it's for a wish" Ino argued and waved her hand dismissively, hoping he would just go away. The jerk-wad rich guy had just caught the girl confessing her love to the mysterious rich boy!!

"But you used it when you made that mirror appear!"

"Oh, well duh! That was for my benefit"

Shikamaru eyed her as if she had spoken to him in English.

"_**Your**_ benefit..! It WILL be unless you want to see a dead genie lying on the floor in two seconds!" he threatened after recomposing himself.

Ino snorted and a smirk made its way across her face. Did he really think he could scare her??

"Hah! Come back and threaten me once you purchase yourself a backbone Nara!" she sneered and stuffed a lollipop inside her mouth. Ino wasn't going to waste such a grand opportunity! This was her first time having such a pushover of a master that all pity for him was covered by the ugly fat men of her past.

After realizing that he was losing this one-sided glaring contest Shikamaru had no other option but to grumble in response.

He growled in frustration when he concluded that this conversation would indeed get him nowhere. Suppressing his groan he had no choice but to crouch down and clean up after this devil-sent creature…

X

O

X

"Oi! Deer boy! The phone's ringing!" A very disturbed genie hollered after the first five rings remained untended to. Her sky blue orbs finally lifted from off the TV (which was probably her new favorite invention so far!) and she watched the unmoving dark hallway. She peered at the clock that read 12 A.M and stood up when her patience limit finally turned sour.

Ino stomped over to the communicating device (she learned it from TV!) and pried the phone off of the base.

"Who is it?! After ten rings it'd be common sense to hang up!" she growled into the receiver.

A long pause stretched across the room and Ino was about to hang up when a voice spoke up.

"Um, who is this?" the voice asked in perplexity.

Ino frowned and repositioned the phone on her shoulder.

"Who wants to know?" she answered haughtily. The caller seemed taken aback by the girl's voice.

"Um, Akimichi Chouji, Shikamaru's best friend…" the voice answered with uncertainty.

Ino's mouth parted in a surprised 'oh'.

So deer boy actually had friends? Shocking…

"Oh, well sorry Chouji, deer-uh- Nara-kun's asleep…can I take a message?" Okay, so she didn't know for sure if pointy head was sleeping but it was the only logical explanation for him to not pick up the phone.

"Oh, alright then, but since I told you my name I think it's only fair to share yours" Chouji reasoned casually.

The blonde smirked.

"Are you hitting on me?" she teased and crossed her arms under her chest.

She was surprised to hear a low chuckle coming from the other line.

"Heh! Yeah right! Like I'd do that to my friend's girl!" Chouji laughed.

Ino's smirk quickly did a double take. Did he just imply…?

"Wait—What!? I am _**NOT**_ his 'girl'! Are you insane?! In his freaking dreams!" she spat in mortification, not realizing that she almost dropped the phone in the process. Ino silently scoffed. Her? That bum's _girlfriend_? Hah! If she could fall on the ground from laughter now she would have! (But clearly she had enough dignity to not so she won't)

Chouji paused and quirked a brow.

"Really? So I suppose Shikamaru invited a _female_ stranger over to his house at _**night**_ because he had no choice?"

Ino clamped her mouth shut. This Chouji guy had no idea how _**right**_ his statement was just then. It was too bad she couldn't tell him that. He sounded like a nice guy.

There was only one thing she could do now!

"Ah! Ksshhhh! Chouji! Krssshh! Can't-! Kssssh- breaking up!"

"What! Hey wait! That's the oldest trick in the book…!"

"Krsshhh oh no!"

Without another passing thought Ino hung the phone up, making sure to silence the ring before making her way back to the living room. She sighed. Well, now her only form of entertainment was gone. Watching TV for six hours straight can bore a person easily. The blonde groaned as she stared out the window towards the bright lights. She wanted to explore the city! She wanted to see how much Japan has changed since her absence! She wanted to go shopping! To eat ramen! To taste sake!

Turning off the TV Ino made her way to the kitchen lazily.

She wanted to do so much! It was too bad the rules forbade her to stray away from her master. The only reason she was able to stay home and watch TV while deer boy was out was because this was technically her home now. And the rules said there was nothing wrong with a genie staying in her house while her master was out. If he wanted a wish she would automatically poof to him.

The genie proceeded to rummage through the cabinets and drawers of the kitchen in search for food to occupy her boredom. It was a good thing genies couldn't gain weight from eating human food. Ino reached towards the top shelf to grab a box of graham crackers. It surprised her how fully stocked deer boy's kitchen was. She didn't see him as the type to cook. To be honest, she didn't see him as the type to do anything that required physical labor. It was amazing he wasn't obese!

Kicking the fridge door shut Ino grabbed her glass of milk and made her way back to the couch.

_Yeah right! Like I'd do that to my friend's __**girl**__! _

She frowned as she placed the box of crackers and glass of milk on the table. She reached over for the remote and clicked the TV off while shaking her head.

"That's it, I need some sleep! Yeah, sleep sounds good!"

With a silent huff Ino made her way to the bed she had forced Shikamaru to set up for her just hours before…

* * *

_**tbc…**_

* * *

Well…I decided to split the story up after it passed well over 10,000 words haha…

Next update will be in a few days! Say...Tuesday!

Usotsuki is in the works!

Reviews make me smile!

**CHECK MY POLL IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!!**


	2. Second Wish

_**Second Wish**_

"Rise and shine princess! Don't you have classes today??"

_Damnit…so it wasn't just a nightmare…_

With a snap of her fingers Ino had the forest green drapes parted quickly in a whooshing motion revealing the suns vibrant beams. A groan escaped the lips of one irritated Nara when the sunlight came directly into contact with his eyes. Shikamaru turned the other way, burying his head underneath his comforter while muttering something eerily familiar to "Go to hell you demon woman"

The corner of Ino's lips curved downwards and she placed her hands on her hips impatiently.

"Come on and get up you lazy ass! Today's a beautiful day for wish granting!"

"I wish you'd go away…."

Ino merely smiled and crossed her arms in the form of an X above her head.

"REJECTED! Wishes don't work on genies remember?"

There was a muffled response under the blanket that eerily resembled a "Screw you".

Ino sighed dejectedly and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Come on deer boy! I want to get out of this stuffy apartment as soon as possible!"

A smile beamed across the blonde's face once the green covers lowered reluctantly, revealing the lovely scowl of Shikamaru Nara. Seriously, this boy should get an award for Best Scowl. It was just…_that _good!

Coal black eyes seemed to squint angrily at the blinding light before refocusing to glare at the female currently occupying his room. Shikamaru wanted to curse the genie, throw his alarm clock at her even! Anything to get the evil woman to leave…

And then he realized something.

"Wait…you're planning on going out today?"

Ino glanced around his room before replying.

"Yes"

"And genies can do that as long as they stay close to their masters correct…?"

She flipped through his school textbooks leisurely.

"Yes"

He grimaced.

"Then no…stay home"

The corner of Ino's mouth twitched and set down the book.

"But I should stay close to you in case you have--"

"I assure you, the only wish I have right now is that you leave me the hell alone…"

Ouch.

_Why that ungrateful little…_

With crossed arms and a firm resolve Ino huffed and pulled the sheets from off the useless body mass that was her current master. A satisfied smirk made its way to her features once she heard his groan of displeasure.

Leaning close to the shivering body Ino began to whisper quietly.

"I suggest you get out of bed now Mister Sunshine or--"

Shikamaru scowled and turned to eye her scornfully.

"Or _**what**_? Feh! I never knew it was possible to get so annoyed with someone you've only met a day ago!!" Swatting her hand away he retrieved the covers and pulled them over his head once more. He turned on his side so his back was facing Ino.

"I wish I could go someplace where I didn't have to look at you! Just let me sleep for ten more minutes alright?" he added in irritation.

Shikamaru was too annoyed to notice that Ino had backed away abruptly, blinking at him in surprise. After a mere five minutes he reluctantly rose from bed when he concluded that he could not get anymore sleep. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes slowly. Stretching his arms above his head he turned to the genie giving her a questionable look.

"What? Do I need your permission to get dressed too your highness?" he remarked sarcastically.

It surprised him when the girl had not come up with a snappy comeback. The Nara spawn quirked his brow skywards before getting out of bed. Whatever, he had better things to do then act questionable towards her actions. She was a freaking genie after all…her whole existence was questionable!

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head and turned to shoo the girl out of his room. The least she could do was leave him be for five minutes…

It wasn't until his eyes locked on her face when he realized his mistake. As if in a trance Ino raised her hand slowly and gave him a smile that made his body shiver.

"As you wish master Shikamaru"

All it took was a snap and all hell broke loose.

X

O

X

"Oooooi! I warned you didn't I? Don't get mad at me for a mistake that you made…"

When the client paid no attention to her the blonde made it apparent that she was indeed unhappy by breaking into a small scowl. Ino inwardly sighed and wordlessly followed Shikamaru as he maneuvered through the crowded streets of Tokyo's morning rush.

"How long are you going to sulk? You can't ignore me forever!"

She frowned when she read his passing thought.

_I can try…_

Letting out yet another sigh Ino busied herself with her new clothes, smoothing out the creases in her plaid skirt. Noticing the apparent scowl on the boys face she sighed once again.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? If I had a choice I would have stopped myself but that's just it, I _**don't**_ have a choice. Genies are required to grant the wish once it has left their masters mouth. No take backs allowed…"

_The __**Swiss **__**Alps**__?!_

Ino let out a frustrated sigh. So he was only going to speak to her through his mind? Talk about touchy. She hadn't meant for him to be sent to the Alps. Technically he hadn't specified the place where he wanted to go. If memory serves her correctly he had said 'someplace'. Last time she checked, 'someplace' could lead you to anywhere! It wasn't her fault!

If all that was true then what the hell was this annoying twist in the pit of her stomach?

Ino huffed when Shikamaru remained ignorant of her apology and she had no choice but to follow him into the train. She frowned when she lost sight of his hideous hair style amongst the crowd of people. Growling softly Ino pushed her way through the horde of humans.

"Geez, does anyone here know the meaning of 'space'??"

She winced when a random body was pushed against her as the doors begun to close. A voice chuckled beside her.

"If you think it's bad now little lady then you haven't seen what it's like in the afternoon!"

Ino looked up to meet the polite smile of a middle aged man.

She returned the smile with a sheepish one.

"Ur, yeah, it's pretty bad huh? I usually have a ride to school so I never experience anything like this…" she lied simply and shuffled uneasily when the sudden rock of the train caused her to run into the kind old man. Mumbling an apology Ino grabbed onto the metal pole, hoping that the ride was a short one.

Now that she thought about it, just where the heck was she supposed to get off?

Her brows pressed together in anger.

_Oh that idiot! He could've at least told me where to--?_

Ino's expression suddenly paled.

"Hm? Is something the matter?" the man beside her asked once he glanced down to notice Ino's perturbed look. She gave a small smile, secretly trying to twist her head around to look behind her. She raised a skeptical brow.

_Weird…I could've sworn I--ah!_

Ino let out a surprised yelp when an unfamiliar feeling made its way up her thigh.

So she wasn't imagining it! Some bastard actually had the guts to **feel** her up! Ino tried to move from the person's grasp but failed because of the limited space. The rough calloused hand made its way higher up her leg and something in her mind clicked. In an instant she found herself frozen as the hand made its way up her skirt after stroking her sensitive skin.

Ino swallowed as she squeezed her eyes shut. It didn't help her situation any knowing that it was a blistering oven on the train! Really! Didn't people know of an invention called A/C?! Trying to twist her head around, but failing right away, Ino bit her lip nervously. This was bad. She couldn't move and Mr. Pervert's hand was not going to stop anytime soon. If only she could just force her limbs to move!

She clenched her fists. With one snap of her fingers she could've had this bastard disappear in the blink of an eye. How ironic that a super powerful magical being like her could not even protect herself because of her chained will…

_It's no good…I can't…!_

She wanted to scream when the hand suddenly found its way to her rear and was now giving it a firm squeeze. She wanted to…but her voice seemed caught in her throat. All she could make out was a weak gasp. Unbeknownst to her, tears had started to form in the corner of her eyes. She bit her lip, trying to fight off the whimper of fear. Small scenes began to flash before her eyes like a broken filmstrip.

A big ugly man forcing himself on top of her…

…Her cries of pain as she was hurled against a bed.

Howls of laughter coming from outside a dark sealed room…

Ino turned her head away, trying to push away the small flashbacks. Her voice had completely disappeared and she felt the fear start to wash over her. Ino gripped the metal pole until her knuckles turned pale.

"I suggest you keep your hands to yourself old man or I'll file you for sexual harassment"

Before she knew what was happening a hand had wrenched the attacker away from her skirt. The blonde blinked back her tears, surprised to find Shikamaru holding onto the arm of the old man she had talked to a few minutes ago. The old man gave Shikamaru a glare before tearing his arm away and making his way toward another area on the train. The shirker scowled as he watched the man force his way through the crowd.

"Che. Seriously, I thought you knew better then to trust perverted old men" Shikamaru retorted as he turned to her. Ino turned away, not wanting to swallow the fact that he had actually _**saved**_ her. She furrowed her brows and pushed back the memories of her past.

A witty comeback involving some colorful words found its way up her throat but was suppressed quickly once the rocking train threw Shikamaru against Ino. Both teens winced from the impact and Shikamaru placed his palm on the glass behind the blonde to prevent from smacking into her face. He gave a low growl once he found his balance.

"Geez…we should just take a taxi next time…" Shikamaru murmured with annoyance as a random passenger bumped into him making him lean even closer towards Ino. He sighed and repositioned his arm so his elbow was leaning against the door.

"Oi, you okay down there blondie?" he asked as he stared at the top of her blonde head.

Ino hadn't realized that she had gone quiet for quite some time and she scowled despite the flush making its way to her cheeks. She tried to inch her face as far away as she could from Shikamaru's chest.

They needed to get that A/C fixed!

"Wha-What is with you humans?? Society has totally gone down the drain!" she whispered hoarsely and tried to ignore the fact that his breath was tickling her ear.

Damnit they _**REALLY**_ needed to get that A/C fixed!!

"Kind and loving as usual…" Shikamaru whispered against her ear, rolling his eyes. Ino wanted to comment about how someone so disgusting like him could smell so good but had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from doing so.

Great. The damn heat was messing with her mind again…

A sigh of relief escaped her lips once the doors opened and Shikamaru reported that this was their stop. On the way out Ino took her time in glaring coldly at the old man.

What was that old saying about books and their covers?

Walking out of the station Ino made a mental note to stick close to Deer Boy. She rolled her eyes. Like she really had a choice anyways…

Not wanting to seem too much like an ignorant bitch and get into worse terms with Shikamaru, Ino sighed in defeat a couple of minutes later and began to twiddle with her fingers as her steps fell behind the boy.

"Thanks...for earlier…" she mumbled quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

Shikamaru raised a skeptical brow but allowed a small smile to grace his lips. He knew that it must've taken quite a blow to her ego to thank him.

"No problem, just be careful next time and stay close"

Ino pulled her head back as if offended before giving his back a sneer.

"Whatever Deer Boy, like I'd feel any safer in the presence of a weak mortal…"

A smile appeared on her face when she was met with the famous Nara scowl.

Ahh. Now that was more like it.

Following Shikamaru along the sidewalk Ino couldn't help but stare at his back.

She smiled when she thought of his act earlier on the train. Pursing her lips she sighed.

"I guess you're alright"

"Hnn?"

The boy looked over his shoulder. Ino sneered at him.

"Nothing! Keep walking! How long is it until we get there? A girl can only be around you for so long!"

Shikamaru shook his head and frowned when he felt Ino firmly plant her foot on a place where foots were not meant to have contact with. He sighed, giving his head a good scratch.

"Troublesome…"

* * *

I'm sad to say that there will be no updates for this until after this weekend. I have an exam to study for PLUS the SATs.

And apparently education is important! :D

Well until then loves!

**BY THE WAY!**

**Anyone out there who can read Japanese? I recently bought this lovely ShikaIno doujinshi and I really wanna know what's going on...I'm gunna scan it when i have time...**


	3. Third Wish

_**Third Wish**_

A set of dark onyx colored orbs narrowed in vexation.

"Chouji, you can stop staring now"

Letting his eyes linger a bit longer on the blonde, a very impressed Akimichi Chouji turned to the side and eyed his friend in amusement. He silently dove his arm into the giant bag of hot chips, throwing a handful of the salty goodness in his mouth with ease. Fixing his eyes on Shikamaru he straightened from his position on the wall and threw him a look of seriousness.

"So…" The chip lover began slyly. Shikamaru pretended to ignore the slight shiver that ran up his spine and acted as if he hadn't heard the implicative tone in Chouji's voice.

"How_** WAS **_she??_" _

The Nara spawn chose this opportunity to choke on air.

"_**What?!**_"

Because there wasn't a simpler word in the world to sum up Shikamaru's thoughts right then.

Chouji ignored his friend's 'fake obliviousness' (as he dubbed it) and crossed his arms while leaning back against the stone wall.

"Don't give me the innocent maiden act" he spat in annoyance.

Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at the weight lifter.

"I'm not! We didn't _**do**_ anything!"

Chouji rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm going to believe that you let a girl sleep over your house without having the intentions to **_bag_** her"

What were they, in grade school?

This was COLLEGE people!

Out of frustration Shikamaru crushed the empty can of soda in his hand. He turned slightly and easily chucked the aluminum can in the recycling bin. Crossing his arms he threw Chouji another glare.

"I'm telling you it's not like that! She's just a family friend…" he lied plainly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes when Chouji switched glances from him to Ino five times over. The large boy seemed to observe the two persons with an intentensity meant for holding a burning rod with pliers. The shirker wanted to smack his forehead when Chouji scrunched his face at Shikamaru as if deciding whether he was telling the truth or not. Geez. He thought Chouji knew him better than that!

As he shifted his eyes on Naruto (who was picking a fight with Uchiha again...), he eyed Chouji again and the Nara sighed. Why couldn't he not see it earlier? It was totally obvious now. He took one last look at Chouji and then at Naruto (who at this point was lying on the ground with a broken jaw) and then at Kiba who had been flirting shamelessly with a bunch of girls.

Shikamaru inwardly groaned. He was surrounded by perverted IDIOTS!

After scrutinizing Shikamaru's face for what seemed like hours, Chouji finally let out a disappointed sigh while shaking his head.

"Well...I guess you're right. A _cherry_ like you would never have the guts…"

Shikamaru took his eyes off of Naruto (who had just been carried off to the nurse's office by Lee) and glared at his friend. _Like you're one to talk! _he mentally scoffed.

Pushing himself away from the wall he turned to Chouji. Chouji's grin quickly faded and his eyes widened when Shikamaru's hands shot out around his neck.

"Was this the mouth that said that? Huh?" he mocked as he grabbed Chouji in a chokehold and watched in amusement as the boy struggled to break free from his grip. Shikamaru smirked.

"For a wrestler in training you have a long way to go my friend" he snorted while at the same time dodging Chouji's blows.

The sound of chanting brought a certain blonde genie out of her conversation and Ino turned her attention away from the girls. She raised a questioning brow at the amusing scene taking place by the front entrance. A small crowd had formed around the two idiots and was now cheering for one or the other. She shook her head distastefully and excused herself from the group of girls.

As she strode over to the small group, she spotted something that made her stop halfway. She blinked in surprise when she noticed the broad smile plastered on her client's face. For some odd reason she found that her thinking process had come to a full stop. The genie stood quietly and watched Shikamaru.

Damn.

For a guy who spent most of his days frowning; he sure had an _attractive_ smile…

Shaking her head to rid her of the stupid thoughts, Ino made her way over to the cheering crowd. She gently pushed her way through the mob until she reached the front. She watched as Chouji struggled to break free from Shikamaru's grip and the latter began to yawn as if he were holding a small child. Ino smirked but decided to spare Chouji from getting his pride anymore broken.

"Excuse me boys, but can I borrow Nara-kun for a bit?" came her sweet voice.

It was then that Shikamaru had to wonder if Ino had secretly used her magic for it seemed like the whole world had come to a complete stop just then. He even supposed that this would be the time to use the 'so quiet you could even hear a pin drop' phrase. Breaking his chokehold off Chouji, he threw Ino a wondrous expression. The blonde simply smiled and extended her hand towards him. What made Shikamaru take it he didn't know but he found himself wordlessly following the genie to wherever the hell she was taking him. Hearing a few cat calls he rolled his eyes and ignored the thumbs up he was receiving from the majority of the guys. He shook his head. _Idiots…_

When the two were finally alone ("What are we doing in an empty classroom??") Ino turned around and placed her hands on her hips.

"So, have you thought of a wish yet oh brain-challenged one?" she questioned, sounding a bit impatient. Shikamaru found himself admiring her acting skills. She was very good at being two-faced…

He snapped out of his thoughts when Ino cleared her throat and he quirked an inquisitive brow, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He leant against one of the desks.

"You actually have the guts to ask me this? Not after the little 'incident' that happened back at the apartment" he answered truthfully. Ino frowned and crossed her arms.

"Are you positive you don't have one?" she asked and played with the hem of her skirt. Meeting his gaze once again her frown unexpectedly transformed into a devious smirk. Shikamaru felt his head pull back reflexively. He gave her a look of incredulity as a chill ran up his spine.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

He wasn't even sure he _**wanted**_ her to continue…

Ino smiled playfully and tapped her lips with her finger.

"Hmm…are you sure it's because you don't have any wishes?" she prodded lightly. She grinned cutely and hopped to sit herself on top of a desk. Shikamaru could only keep his defenses up. "You're not just…oh I dunno…saying it so you can keep an _attractive_ girl by your side?" she finished in amusement.

She was surprised to find the boy unaffected by her taunting. Shikamaru sighed, rolling his eyes instead.

_Tch…don't flatter yourself…you're not even my type…_

Ino gaped at the truthfulness in his voice and a sudden desire to contradict his 'taste in women' started to burn within her.

Her eyes narrowed and she straightened her posture haughtily.

"Excuse me?! How rude! Well I'll have you know that I am very desirable and I wouldn't be caught DEAD with you in a bazillion years!" Ino countered childishly with an unpleasant huff. Shikamaru's expression remained unfaze and he silently crossed his arms. His eyes locked with hers.

"If so, then why are you wasting your time hitting on _me_?"

The genie mentally gaped.

Oh he did _**NOT**_ just go there!

Getting a good look at her blanched expression Shikamaru couldn't help the smug look shooting its way across his features. Leaning comfortably against the desk he awaited her reaction. Ino backed away, bumping into the desk behind her. The desk made a loud scraping noise across the floor but she ignored it completely.

"WHAT?? ME?! I'm not--!! Hitting on--?!" she protested wholeheartedly despite the slight blush staining her cheeks.

Ridiculous! Abso-_**freaking**_-lutely ridiculous! So ridiculous Ino couldn't even put her words of protest into a proper sentence! Because it was just _**that**_ ridiculous! Just the mere thought of having a relationship with a _mortal_ gave her the creeps. And he's saying that she isn't his type? Well, he wasn't her type at all! He was uncool, average looking, a messy slob (A/N: that's just you Ino dear), plain, a _**pushover**_…It was obvious that his good points bowed down before his bad ones!

Ignoring her state of shock Shikamaru pushed himself off the desk and let out a small yawn.

"Anyway, my classes are about to start soon so do whatever you want for the remaining time"

Ino snapped from her train of thought and cursed him for getting her so riled up over stupid matters. She pushed their previous topic to the back of her head and tried to ignore the annoying knot still winding itself inside her.

Taking a step forward, she blinked and was surprised when her vision began to blur. The blonde faltered a bit and stopped in her tracks, resting her hand on top of the desk to support herself. Shikamaru raised a questioning brow.

"What's wrong?"

Ino winced when the room continued to spin but in an instant the mysterious sensation was gone. Removing her hand from her forehead she straightened out her posture.

"Uh…it was nothing…just felt a little dizzy…"

Shikamaru gave her a look of wonder before turning away and heading out the door. Ino watched him leave from the corner of her eye and brought her hand to rub her temples once again. What had happened just now?

Shaking her head Ino followed the lazy boy out of the classroom.

X

O

X

Coal black eyes seemed to pierce calm blue ones intently. The owner of the dark orbs glared at the sight before him. He paused in his typing and gave Ino a once over.

"I know you don't consider me a 'man' and all but can't you at least have the decency to NOT walk around my house _**naked**_?!" he retorted bluntly with his eyes surprisingly trained on her face and only her face.

The blonde frowned and began to dry her hair with a towel.

"I'm not naked, I'm wearing a towel" she pointed out.

"Last time I checked, towels weren't admitted as an article of clothing" he countered. Ino frowned and continued to dry her hair as she walked into his kitchen.

"Oh please, you know you enjoy it…" she commented and took out a box of cookies from the pantry.

Shikamaru sighed and directed his eyes to the laptop screen to resume work on his paper.

"Again with the flirting…" he murmured quietly. Ino glared at his direction towards the dining room and slammed the fridge shut to show her displeasure. She didn't want to have another spout with him about this matter again. It'd be the thirteenth time this week.

Ino grabbed her snacks and entered the small dining room, taking a seat across from Shikamaru. Still in her towel mind you…

A comfortable silence filled the room with only the clacks of Shikamaru's laptop and munches coming from Ino. The blonde took a large gulp from her glass of milk, letting out a satisfied sigh. Shhe popped another cookie in her mouth and wiped it with the back of her hand. She noticed the look the boy was giving her and quirked a brow skywards.

"What?"

"You really enjoy running my food bill don't you?"

Ino shrugged casually. "What can I say? Food is the only thing you humans haven't done _**wrong**_"

Shaking his head Shikamaru continued to work on his paper. Ino observed him quietly as if contemplating her next action. Taking another bite from a cookie she shrugged and swallowed the bits in her mouth. She took a drink from her glass of milk and cleared her throat softly.

"Hey…" she began in the cutest voice she could muster, "..._**Master**_ Shikamaru?"

There was a pause in his typing.

Sighing dejectedly, Shikamaru matched his gaze with hers. His genie calling him 'master'? This could only mean one thing…

"What do you want?"

Ino pursed her lips cutely and tapped her fingernails against the glass table. It sucked that she had to ask Deer Boy for permission about these things but she couldn't help it for it was part of the rules. She twirled a lock of her hair with her finger mindlessly.

"Can I…go to this…_mall_ the TV speaks of?"

Eyes riveting back to the laptop screen Shikamaru took a sip from his glass of water calmly.

"That's not all of it. Just spit it out…"

Ino frowned and glared at him silently. Sometimes she wondered if he knew her _too_ well…

She fanned her lashes at him and bit her lip.

"Well, I kind of promised Tenten and Hinata that I'd meet up with them later today…"

As if Ino could foresee his upcoming negative answer she added, "I mean, I've been good this week so I think I deserve some me time…"

Shikamaru snorted as if it was the most falsified thing she had ever said. And it probably was…

"Right. Nice try…"

She frowned again.

"Oh come on! Just this once? I want to go to Fairy Park!"

Shikamaru glanced at her for a brief second.

"Fairy Park? The one by the mall? You do know that's for kids right?"

"So! It looked fun in the commercial!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "The TV lies…plus I heard that ever since the new amusement park opened up, there haven't been any guests besides gang bangers…"

"Who cares what you hear! I want to go and you have to take me!"

Rolling his eyes at her immaturity Shikamaru continued his paper.

"No…"

Like hell was he going to let her have her way AGAIN…

X

O

X

"Oh! Ino! Over here!"

_Damn…I did it __**again**__!_

Shikamaru watched as Ino rushed over to the tawny-haired girl and the two began to chat animatedly about heaven knows what. Strolling over to the small table he noticed that Hinata was the only one that realized his presence.

"Good afternoon Shikamaru-kun" she greeted politely.

He pulled out a chair and took a seat across from her, giving her a small smirk.

"Yo. I'm surprised your father allowed his princess to roam the city" he commented with mock surprise.

Hinata pouted and gave him a little scowl.

"Mou! Why does everyone pick on me like that? Do I have a billboard attached to my head that says 'feel free to mock me!' or something?"

Shikamaru broke out into a small chuckle and shook his head.

"Sorry Hinata but it's policy to have a go at teasing the rich princess"

The azure-haired girl stuck her lip out cutely and crossed her arms.

"If Neji-kun were here you'd be eating those words…"

Shikamaru laughed despite the fact that what she was saying was probably true.

Although none seemed to be paying close attention to the two, this little conversation did not escape the ears and eyes of a certain blonde genie. Ino didn't realize that her lack of response towards Tenten's questions was diminishing to the point where she was now silent. The blonde frowned when she felt an odd twist in the pit of her stomach. It was then that the brown-eyed girl beside her noticed that they were in the presence of a male. Tenten turned around to look at the boy behind her.

"Shikamaru? What're you doing here?" she asked with a light smile.

Taking a seat beside him (earning her a befuddled look from Ino), Tenten tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I was only planning on having a girls day out so if you like beauty salons then you're more then welcome to join" she joked. Shikamaru scrunched his nose in disgust and offered her a frown.

"As exciting as that sounds I think I'll pass…just give me a call when you guys are finished"

The hazel-eyed girl propped her elbow on the table and cupped her cheek.

"You don't have to stay you know, I'm sure Ino can get home by herself"

_I highly doubt that…_

Ino threw Shikamaru a murderous glare and spoke up before he could voice his opinion.

"Uhhh…actually…Shikamaru and I have plans later…so uh, he says he'll just wait until we're done shopping…"

Hinata took a sip from her smoothie.

"Ah, I see then…"

"Do you need someone to escort you home Hinata-_sama_? I wouldn't want Neji to beat me up if he were to find out that something happened to you…"

Ino raised a confused brow at Shikamaru's chivalrous offer to the milky-eyed girl. Hinata laughed.

"I think he'd be madder if he saw you walking me home...and I don't want to be any trouble"

Shikamaru merely shrugged and stood up as his chair made a scraping noise against the tiled floor.

"It's alright. Your mansion is pretty close from here so I don't mind"

"But what about your plans with Ino-san?" the girl asked inquisitively.

Without even acknowledging the blonde the boy shook his head.

"Nah. It's fine…"

For some odd reason the genie scowled at his words.

Hinata gave the blonde a side glance.

"I don't know…I don't want to interrupt your plans…"

Shikamaru reached his hand out and ruffled Hinata's hair.

"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine…just give me a call alright?"

Watching the boy walk away Tenten turned to Hinata and let out an envious sigh.

"It must be nice having all the boys treat you so well Hi-sama" she smiled mischievously.

Hinata blushed crimson and shook her head in protest.

"Tenten-san, you know that's not it!"

The Chinese girl laughed and Hinata watched the blonde from the corner of her eye. Ino seemed to be scowling quietly to herself.

"I-It's not! There's nothing going on between us Ino-san so you don't have to worry…!"

Snapping out of her thoughts the blonde focused her attention on the group.

"Huh?-Oh! That's not it Hinata! I'm not accusing you of anything…"

Taking over Shikamaru's seat, Ino let out a small sigh.

"And we're not dating anyways so it's really not my business…I was just thinking about the annoying chores I had to do once I got home..." she lied easily. The other girls nodded in understanding when they remembered their unfinished essays.

Ino folded her arms across the table and leaned forward to look at Hinata.

"I'm surprised you have such a close relationship with Nara-kun"

Now, it wasn't like Ino to call Shikamaru anything but derogatory names but that was only when the two were alone. If she were to act like her real self in front of others she knew how people would react to it. So in other words she was trying to keep a good girl façade here! Call her two-faced but Ino had learned long ago that acting like a goody goody can actually benefit you and cause less problems. After all it's not like she was going to stay in this world for long anyways. She had to admit that thinking about that factor always made her cringe in her seat. It was only times like this when she actually envied these mortals…

The brunette laughed as Hinata ordered another smoothie for Ino.

"You should've seen her in high school! All the girls hated her because of her close relationships with the guys! I'm sad to say that I used to be one of them…"

Ino's brow curved with interest. "Really?"

Tenten nodded.

"Yeah. Hinata has been friends with most of the guys since childhood. You saw them when you came that one day. She was always the center of gossip because she would never talk to anyone else. People saw her as a snob. It wasn't until later when I found out that she was just too shy to speak to anyone…"

Hinata joined the conversation after setting down Ino's smoothie.

"I was always picked on in school and they seemed to get it in their heads to protect me…" she rolled her eyes. "Tenten-san was the only one who saw through all the gossip." She added and threw her friend a grateful smile.

Ino rested her elbows on the table and cupped her chin with her hands.

"Hmm….that must've been nice Hime-chi"

The cute frown on the girl's face made Ino burst into fits of giggles.

"It's not like I asked for this!"

Tenten joined in on the laughter.

"Yeah, but you really do have that high class aura going on. That's probably why we commoners feel the need to dirty our hands for you" she teased. Ino laughed as Hinata sulked.

Taking a drink of her smoothie Ino decided to let the two girls do the talking. She absentmindedly looked in the direction Shikamaru had left. She quickly averted her gaze and dispersed all thoughts of the lazy boy.

When the three girls were finished with their drinks they headed towards the many clothing stores with such glee to make a male head for the hills. Tenten and Hinata practically dragged Ino to the most expensive looking store they could find and began to pile clothes in her arms. Ino blanched at the pile of designer clothes and tried her best not to use her magic to make them float midair to spare her aching muscles.

"Are you guys seriously going to try on all these clothes??" she questioned in bewilderment. Tenten turned away from the halter top she was inspecting and blinked at Ino's question.

"Of course not! YOU'RE going to be the one trying them on!" she grinned.

Hinata pulled out a pair of studded low cut jeans and draped them over Ino's growing pile.

"You have such a nice figure Ino-san. You should wear clothes that show it off!"

Ino stared down (as best as she could) at her outfit containing of a white vested hoodie and a blue pleated skirt with fishnet stockings. Sure she liked the type of clothing that Hinata and Tenten wore but she really didn't want to wear anything guys would notice her in. Just wearing that school girl outfit to Shikamaru's school the other day made her feel a little queasy.

Believe it or not but after that train incident Ino had developed some sort of Hominophobia (Actually she had it before that incident but that's a story for another time). It wasn't really a fear for men rather it was more of a 'if you do something to me I swear I will kick your ass' kind of suspicion. The only guy (she still refuses to consider him one) she was not afraid to hang out with was Shikamaru. Mainly because in her eyes he wasn't a boy…he was just…_**Shikamaru**_…

"Ino! Are you listening?"

Ino blinked out of her stupor and nodded sheepishly. Hinata smiled.

"Come on! Let's go try these on!"

Before the spiritual being could protest, Tenten had already pushed her inside the changing cubicle. Ino sighed and dropped the pile by her feet.

Looking at the horrendous pile of clothes she reluctantly picked up a random top and began her first ever shopping experience…

X

O

X

With the last of her strength Ino plopped down on the seat of the metro train and carelessly abandoned her shopping bags at her sides. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and from his place next to Ino, rearranged the bags in a less sloppy fashion.

"Gah! I've never been so exhausted in my life!" she whined and leant her head against the back of the seat as the train started to depart. Hinata giggled in the seat across from hers and placed her own bags in the empty seat beside her.

"You act like you've never been shopping before in your life!" she joked lightheartedly.

Shikamaru and Ino traded knowing looks.

Ino laughed nervously, "Haha…well…I don't get out much"

Glancing at the numerous bags sitting at her sides Ino frowned guiltily.

"Are you sure it's okay to buy me all these clothes Hinata? That's a lot of money to waste on just me…"

Hinata shook her head.

"No, it's alright…just...think of it as a big welcoming present from me. And anyways, I'm rich remember?" she grinned slightly. Her words didn't seem to convince Ino and Hinata tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I'll tell you what Ino-san, If you agree to be my friend then I'll accept it as payment"

It took awhile for the girl's words to sink in and the genie could only stare at her in disbelief. She blinked at Hinata and a warm feeling began to spread inside her.

Shikamaru snorted from his seat beside Ino and he casually draped his arm across the back of the seat.

"That's just so like you to propose something like that. But people might think that you're trying to buy their friendship with money" he commented with a smirk. Hinata blinked in confusion and after reviewing his words in her head she gasped, giving Shikamaru a look of astonishment.

"No way! Does it really seem like that??" she asked in a panicky tone and nervously began to poke her two fingers together. She looked up in hopes of meeting Ino's eyes.

"I-I didn't mean it like that Ino-san! It never even crossed my mind! I--"

The Hyuuga Heiress paused when she found Ino's head bowed as well. A feeling of anxiety grew in the pit of her stomach and both she and Shikamaru eyed the girl with worry. After a long silence Shikamaru glanced at Hinata who was practically swimming in trepidation. He looked at his genie. Was Ino actually that upset about it? He had only been joking…

His eyes widened in alarm when he heard a soft sniffling sound coming from the blonde. He exchanged worried looks with Hinata.

"O-Oi…" he started cautiously and moved to place his hand on her shoulder.

What he didn't expect was for the magical being to raise her head and stare at Hinata, not with anger as the heiress had feared, but with embarrassment and sincerity.

"Suh-Sorry…" she managed to croak and brushed the tears from her eyes. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. Ino averted her gaze in embarrassment and wanted nothing more then to be invisible right then. She played with the hem of her shirt shamefully and before she could stop herself, her mouth had started to pour out all her emotions.

"It's just…it's been so long since…" she trailed off and smiled sadly, wiping her tears away. Hinata looked at her in puzzlement while Shikamaru's face softened knowingly. He placed a comforting hand on head, ruffling her golden tresses affectionately. The warm feeling in Ino began to burn brighter and she gave in to his kind gesture, burying her head against his chest. Shikamaru froze from the unfamiliar gesture but shook off the feeling of awkwardness and stroked her hair softly.

_"Are all genies this stuck up?"_

_"Well, let's see how **you** act after being imprisoned in a bottle for thousands of years and having to deal with fat old men who try to grope you every chance they get while you're granting their wishes!"_

"…So _that's_ what it's about…" he whispered and without thinking, leant down to kiss her hair.

Hinata watched the scene quietly and smiled from her seat.

* * *

Ino was going to say "It's been so long since people were so nice to me..."

And for those of you who expected more Ino and Chouji interaction fret not! It was intentional of me to leave it out…you'll find out why soon …

And yes I added a little Shika/Hina…although it's only one-sided…poor Deer Boy…

Read and Review! :D

EDIT: 6/11

By the way! I'm now taking requests for one-shots so if you have one then feel free to ask!


	4. Fourth Wish pt 1

_**Fourth Wish (Pt. 1)**_

"Thanks for walking me home you two"

The female genie continued to stare at the mansion in awe, amazed by the large size of the building (…heck, it was even bigger than any of her previous masters homes COMBINED!). Shikamaru secretly rolled his eyes and had to elbow the girl in the ribs to get her attention. Hinata giggled and watched as the two quietly exchanged threats.

Ignoring the idiot beside her Ino gave the azure-haired girl a few words of thanks before turning back to head home. It wasn't until she had walked a couple of paces from the front steps when she realized that Shikamaru was not beside her. Taking a quick peek behind her she noticed that the two friends were caught up in a light conversation. She watched as Hinata whispered something in his ear that caused the boy to blush hotly in response. Ignoring the slight pull on her chest she smiled fondly and decided to leave the two alone. Carrying her shopping bags she started towards the gates to wait for her master.

Ino placed her bags at her sides and slowly slid down the stone wall. She squinted hard when her vision began to blur and tiredly leaned the back of her head against the cold concrete. The genie closed her eyes and gave a small sigh as she waited for deer boy.

Shikamaru came to a conclusion that it was time to hightail it outta here and politely bid Hinata goodnight (after catching sight of a mysterious lurking figure with strangely familiar long hair watching from the third floor window). Quickly scurrying out of the Hyuuga estate and harm's way, he was surprised to find his genie sitting alone on the ground just outside the gates.

"Sorry for the wait…" he apologized after checking behind him to look out for any signs of overprotective cousins. He inwardly sighed and was thankful to report that he was safe (for now).

When the magical being gave no response Shikamaru gave her a confused look, thinking that she hadn't heard him.

"Ino?"

It surprised him when he realized that this was actually the first time he had spoken her name since the time he had freed her from her slumber. Walking towards the blonde he paused mid-step when something caught his eye. Rubbing his eyes he stared at her again to find that she looked like her normal self. Odd, since just seconds ago he could have sworn her body form seemed to flicker like the static you get from a broken TV…

…_Probably just the moonlight…_

"Oi…Are you okay?" Shikamaru inquired when he noticed the half-lidded dazed look in her eyes. Waving his hand in front of her he knitted his brows in annoyance when she didn't respond. Shikamaru tried calling her name again but the results remained constant.

His eyes widened in alarm once the blonde's head started to droop off to the side.

"INO!"

The genie shot up in surprise, her whole body in guard mode. Focusing her blurred vision on Shikamaru she gave a loud groan, slightly annoyed that it was just him and not some life or death emergency. The wish granter rubbed her head and sat up against the stone wall.

"What is it? D'you want me to grant you a wish?" she groaned sleepily as the pulsing aches finally subsided. She closed her eyes in exhaustion.

Shikamaru shook his head and leaned against the wall next to her.

"You really want to get rid of me that bad huh?"

Ino opened her eyes and brought one of her knees to her chest. She draped her arm across her knee and gave him a small look before returning her eyes at the ground.

"I didn't mean it like that…" she started quietly, not even knowing where the hurt in her voice had come from.

Shikamaru noticed the pained expression on her face and crouched down beside her. Placing his palm on her forehead, his brows knitted worriedly.

"You okay? You look a little pale…"

Ino shook her head and swatted his hand away from her forehead, ignoring the tingling sensation his hand had imprinted on her skin. Shikamaru said nothing and stood up from his spot. Ino blinked the tiredness from her eyes.

"I'm fine. I just need a little sleep and then I'll be as good as new!" she exclaimed cheerfully but the fatigue in her voice told him otherwise.

Ino met his concerned gaze and gave him a reassuring smile. She held her hand out to him.

"Help me up so we can go home"

Shikamaru stared at her hand before accepting her request and pulling her up. Ino swayed a bit and placed her hand on his arm for balance. Sighing tiredly she moved to pick up her bags and was surprised when she was intercepted by Shikamaru. Meeting his eyes she gave him a sheepish smile and the two continued their walk home.

The genie yawned as the night air brushed against her cheeks. Lately she seemed to be getting more tired by the day. She sighed in relief when they spotted an unoccupied bench amongst the bustling crowd at the train station. Ino frowned and began to rub soothing circles around her temple as she sat down.

"I'm fine" she spoke over the loud noise before Shikamaru even had the chance to voice his concern. The shirker momentarily wondered how she could've possibly known what he was going to say but remembered her mind reading trick. Forced to leave the topic regarding the genie's state, Shikamaru relaxed in his seat and waited for their train to arrive. A comforting silence had settled between the two and Shikamaru was almost convinced that Ino had fallen asleep until he heard her soft voice.

"Do you remember the genie rules I recited when we met?" she whispered loud enough for only him to hear. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling absentmindedly.

Shikamaru spared her a glance before nodding slowly, "Yeah. What about it?"

Ino met his gaze briefly and looked away once again.

"Rule two, the one about manipulating people's hearts…what I said about it was true…but there's many loopholes to it…" she explained casually.

Meeting Shikamaru's clueless expression the genie sighed. A short silence overcame them again and they watched as people piled out of the newly arrived train.

"What I'm trying to say is that you can make wishes that can lead you to winning Hinata's heart" she suggested and observed the white-collared workers enter the train with cell phones glued to their ears.

Ino smirked when the boy's face turned a nice shade of pink.

"I mean…you can wish for a chance to be alone with her or something like that. It's not against the rules…" Ino started softly. Shikamaru fought down his blush and shook his head at her proposal.

"Don't even think about it. My feelings for Hinata is something that I'll take to my grave" he stated flatly. Ino frowned and straightened up her posture, tossing her ponytail behind her shoulder.

"What? Why?"

When the boy refused to answer Ino sighed once again.

"Oh come on! Don't tell me it's because of some lame excuse like being afraid of rejection…" she accused and crossed her arms knowingly while shaking her head. Shikamaru snorted and met her cerulean orbs.

"Wrong. It's because I _know_ that she doesn't see me that way. Plus, she has someone she likes already" he rolled his eyes. Ino scowled and waited for the train passengers to leave the station before replying again.

"So what? You're just going to give up that easily? And don't give me that 'her happiness is my happiness' bull crap. You can't just think about her feelings, you need to think about yours too. Be selfish for once! Seize the opportunity!"

The shirker sighed and managed not to slap his forehead. He ushered for the girl to sit down when they were beginning to receive an audience.

"Even if what you say is true, it's a lot easier said then done." Shikamaru began quietly and scooted forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his thighs. He brought his hands out of his pockets and clasped them together, rubbing his thumbs in a contemplative silence.

"You need to count the risks and the other person's feelings. You can't just act selfishly. You've seen how Hinata is so you should understand me a little. If I were to confess to her she wouldn't know how to reject me. She's too kind. She'd probably agree to date me just so she wouldn't hurt my feelings" he confessed as he stared out towards the train tracks. Ino had a feeling he wasn't really watching the steel tracks but instead envisioning the cloudy-eyed girl at the moment. She ignored the small pang in her chest. She snapped from her thoughts when the boy beside her began to chuckle. "Or she would faint and wake up with a high fever" he added amusingly.

Ino raised a brow.

"You sound like you know that from experience…"

Shikamaru clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back against the bench.

"Cuz it is. You've seen Inuzuka Kiba right?" he suddenly questioned and threw her a side glance. Ino tapped her chin thoughtfully as she recalled her memories.

"Oh! Yeah. The guy with the dog right?"

Shikamaru nodded and averted his gaze back at the steel tracks.

"Well…Kiba's the type that can be a little…_straight forward_ with his feelings…"

Ino allowed a small gape to grace her features when the gears in her mind clicked calculatingly.

"No way. He confessed to Hinata?"

Shikamaru grinned in amusement when he recollected his thoughts.

"Yeah. Hinata was so embarrassed that she fainted on the spot. She woke up the next day with a fever…Kiba was so upset. He kept blaming himself for the incident. Hinata's cousin even went as far as trying to chase down the idiot, yelling something about 'skinning a mutt alive'…" he laughed. Ino smiled unknowingly. Shikamaru's smiles were oddly contagious…

"Anyway, Hinata managed to stop Neji from killing Kiba in the end"

Ino tilted her head to the side.

"So…she and Kiba…?" she asked with uncertainty, uncertain if she should press the matter further.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"No, they're just friends. When Hinata was sick, she was a total mess and wasn't sure how to reply to Kiba's feelings. And it's a common scenario for people to always come to _me_ for advice. It's like they assume just because I'm smart I know everything…" he rolled his eyes.

Ino kept her eyes trained on his face and brought her feet to rest on the bench. She tucked her knees underneath her chin as she continued to listen to him.

"So I got Hinata to calm down and think about her feelings clearly. When she was sure she had no feelings for Kiba I suggested that I could break it easy to him but she wanted to tell him herself."

Shikamaru paused as if reliving the memory.

"Kiba hasn't given up on his feelings yet but Hinata knows how to handle him so it's alright with me…I feel sorry for Kiba though since he gets a beating from Neji at least twice a week" he added and shook his head shamefully. Ino blinked in surprise.

"So…wait…if Kiba's not the one she likes…then…?"

Shikamaru yawned leisurely. It was odd for him to speak this much…

"Ah. It's probably Naruto"

The blonde felt her jaw drop.

"Na-Naruto?! You!--You mean to tell me you _**lost**_ _**out**_ to that…that hyperactive squinty-faced _thing_?!" she screeched in a pitchy tone.

She didn't regret her words until a thick stillness had blanketed across the train station. Ino knew people were going to start staring (heck, they already were!) but what she _didn't_ expect was for Shikamaru to begin laughing at her comment. Hearing the boy's laughter made her stomach lurch strangely and she felt her face starting to grow warm. Ignoring the confused bystanders Ino cleared her throat and sat back down, hiding her face under the curtain of her bangs. When a new train arrived and the train station became less packed she decided to speak again.

"I'm sorry…that was insensitive of me…" she muttered silently in embarrassment.

Shikamaru managed to suppress his laughter and he threw her a warm smile.

"Don't worry about it. I've already accepted that fact a _long_ time ago" he joked. He brought his eyes to the ceiling, wondering if he should mention her unusually 'nice' behavior. He inwardly shrugged and decided against it. After all, it wasn't everyday when he got to see Ino act _civilized_ for once…

Ino stared at the hands in her lap and sighed.

"Although…to me, that's kind of sad…" she said softly, "…not being able to tell someone your feelings…"

It took Shikamaru some time to stomach down his surprise and his eyes softened.

"You sound like you know this from experience…"

Ino blinked and couldn't help but gawk at his words.

"Wha-What? No! Er. I mean…I've never really known anyone long enough to have feelings for…so…so…" she defended wholeheartedly while wondering why she was acting like a foolish school girl.

Shikamaru paused when a question formed in his head.

"Wait…can genies _reproduce_?"

Despite her previous nervous state Ino laughed at the question.

"No, they can't. Surprisingly, I hear genies are supposed to be emotionless beings…with the odd exception of me of course"

The boy looked thoughtful.

"What do you mean by 'I hear'?"

Ino shrugged.

"Well, since genies are beings forever trapped inside objects, they have no knowledge of other genies. So I could be the only genie for all I know…but my friend has met some, at least that's what she tells me, and she says that all of them are, and I quote; emotionless _jerks_"

"I thought you said that you've never had a chance to meet anyone long enough to even make friends with?"

Ino scratched her head sheepishly.

"Well…it's sort of complicated. But all I can say is that she's not a genie but a magical being as well"

Shikamaru nodded slowly as if the information had actually made sense to him. Which, of course it did not. Ino stared absentmindedly as the next train arrived and she momentarily recalled her past.

She sighed at a particular memory and folded her hands in her lap, staring down at them quietly.

"But I'm grateful to her...she always manages to track me down after I'm assigned a new master to come help me. She helped me out a lot when I was with my other previous masters and she keeps them from doing things to me…"

Shikamaru didn't even need to ask to know about the _things _the genie was talking about.

The blonde shivered involuntarily and Shikamaru was sure it wasn't from the night air either. The genie's eyes moved to the arriving train and she sat up abruptly.

"Our train's here" she announced suddenly, trying to mask the coldness in her voice.

Ino closed her eyes and tried to shut away all of the negative emotions that spurred from remembering her past. Giving a shaky breath she stepped forward towards the train but paused when she felt a hand grab at her wrist.

She turned and gave Shikamaru a confused look.

He gave her a lazy grin.

"Actually, I change my mind…the night's still pretty young…"

Ignoring the genie's confused "Huh?" Shikamaru began to drag her away from the train station…

X

O

X

Ino's cerulean orbs stared up at the man in confusion, partially hiding herself behind Shikamaru's back for safety measures.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" the man shot angrily as he rubbed his eyes, ignoring his shirtless state. Shikamaru did not falter at his words but instead held out his hand.

"Come on Asuma-sensei, I hardly ever ask you for favors. And it's only 11 P.M old man, I'll return the keys tomorrow" he reassured.

Asuma threw him a glare and rubbed his temples.

"Now, please enlighten me with the reason of why in the world would I even _think_ of fulfilling your request. Have you consumed a large amount of alcoholic beverages recently?"

"Uh…Shikamaru…" Ino cut in after seeing the anger that flashed across the man's rugged face.

"Look, I don't care if it's to fulfill a person's dying wish or to impress some…" Asuma glanced at Ino, "chick…" and then back at his pupil. "But you're not going to get these keys"

Shikamaru frowned and lowered his hand slightly.

"Now, does someone want me to tell Kurenai-sensei about a certain _incident_?"

Asuma's once indestructible resolve cracked before his eyes and he pressed his brows together.

"You _wouldn't_" he growled threateningly.

Shikamaru smirked.

"_Just try me_" he pressed.

Asuma cursed, looked the boy in the eye, and slammed the door in their faces. Ino blinked in surprise and was about to ask Shikamaru to leave when all of a sudden the door opened again and a set of keys was thrust into the deer boy's hands.

"You have until tomorrow night to return them" Asuma threatened icily before slamming the door once again.

Shikamaru grinned. "Thanks sensei!" he shouted towards the door and grabbed Ino's hand in his, leading her away from the Sarutobi residence.

X

O

X

The genie frowned as they got off the train and headed towards the direction of the mall they had been at just this afternoon.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Ino questioned as they walked the perimeter of the large mall. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and fingered the keys in his pockets.

"Keep you're pants on, we're almost there" he stated in annoyance. Dragging around this loud mouthed genie for the rest of the night had _not_ been in his agenda this morning thank you very much.

Ino couldn't help but look at the hand holding hers and she had to stop her thoughts from straying down a dangerouspath. She shuttered at the thought and tried to keep her mind occupied with other things.

She was relieved when Shikamaru let go of her hand and she watched him in puzzlement when he used the keys Asuma had given him to unlock the padlock chained around a large iron gate. Bringing her eyes to the sign above the gate her mind went completely blank and her lips parted dryly.

Shikamaru grunted when the stubborn lock finally clicked open and he removed it along with the chains around the gate. Grabbing hold of one of the bars on the gate he forced the entrance open with a loud creak.

He arched a brow when Ino remained standing motionlessly in front of the entrance.

"Well, are you coming in or what?" he asked bluntly. Ino's eyes slowly traveled to his face.

"I--you…I…" she stammered stupidly. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Do you want to go home instead?"

Shaking her head idiotically Ino managed to stumble beyond the gate.

"Wait here" Shikamaru ordered as he walked inside the small building to their right. Ino nodded meekly, barely registering what he had just said. She hesitantly took a step forward and tried to pick out the objects in the dark. She couldn't even believe she was _actually _here! Shikamaru wasn't capable of being THIS NICE to someone! Especially to someone like _her_ who had been doing nothing but using him the pass week she'd stayed here! She didn't deserve this! Maybe this was just a ridiculously good dream…or…or she was hallucinating! That had to be it! This was just _too_ absurd! There were limits to how nice a person could be…This was…This was--!

Suddenly, a loud click echoed through the dark night and light carnival music began playing through the black speakers. One by one the theme park rides came to life in all sorts of vivid neon colors. The clanks of the rollercoaster could be heard towing empty cars up the tracks. The small Ferris wheel could be seen flashing colors of red, blue, green and yellow in the distance. The spinning teacups twirled endlessly in colorful blurs. The merry-go-round was slowly spinning to the sound of childish music.

Shikamaru came out a moment later after all the rides had started up. He took a second to observe the scene.

"Hm. I never did like theme parks. But I guess it's sort of cool to have the whole place to yourself…" he spoke mindlessly.

He turned to face Ino and noticed that her stare had turned into an outright gawk.

Before Shikamaru could attempt to speak some sense into the blonde, Ino surprisingly turned towards him, a look of seriousness on her face.

"You--just for a sec…can I…can I just _hug_ you right now?"

Without even examining the boy's shocked expression or acknowledging his answer, the genie wordlessly threw herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Shikamaru backed up from the sudden force and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist to keep their balance. He felt Ino breathe a happy sigh against his neck before releasing her hold on him. She smiled at him before turning towards the games, her cerulean eyes twinkling excitedly. Pausing when she felt Shikamaru's stare on her back Ino waved at him from one of the game booths.

"What're you waiting for?! Let's go play ALL of them!!" she laughed and gave him a broad smile full of childish excitement. The blonde turned away and rushed towards the water squirting game.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets Shikamaru fought down the blush staining his cheeks and silently trailed after the eager genie.

He couldn't help but think that…

…he sort of _liked _it when she smiled at him like that…

* * *

Don't shoot me. I know it is absolutely _impossible_ for a carnival/mini theme park to start up by just flipping ONE switch. But come on! This is fiction okay? :D

Aww the fluffiness!

Wish 4 will probably be split into 3-4 parts…because if I don't the chapters won't correspond with the number of wishes Shikamaru has made (remember, he gets 5 wishes!).

The more you review the faster the update!!


	5. Fourth Wish pt 2

_**Happy Birthday Shikamaru and Ino!**_

_**Fourth Wish (Pt. 2)**_

"So…I'll be back in a few hours alright?"

Shikamaru took the time to button up the cuffs of his dress shirt before putting on his dark green blazer. Ino nodded in understanding and stood by the entrance of the apartment to see him off. The shirker smoothed out the creases on his pants and momentarily checked his reflection in the mirror Ino had poofed up for him. The magical being inspected his attire and reached out to brush the lint off his shoulder.

"You look splendid master! I'm sure your date will swoon at the sight of you!" she grinned cheekily.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes from inside the reflection before turning around to match her gaze.

"It's _not_ a date. And don't you 'master' me, I know what you're up to _blondie_" he retorted knowingly. The genie only gave him a dazzling smile in return.

Shikamaru frowned and placed his hand on the brass doorknob, giving it a small twist.

"I better not find you _stalking_ me again or there WILL be consequences" he warned after jiggling the door open slightly. Ino feigned a look of shock.

"Stalker? _Me_?!" she scoffed and Shikamaru couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"I mean it Ino, no leaving this apartment got it?"

Ino raised her hand in mock salute and secretively rolled her eyes. "Aye, aye cap'n!"

Shikamaru gave her another suspicious look before giving her a small nod and closing the door after him. Ino waited until the sound of his footsteps had disappeared beyond the door before her smile twisted into a devious smirk. She turned around and placed her hand on her hip.

"Chouji! You ready yet? He's on the move!"

The door of the broom closet down the hallway slowly squeaked open, revealing the grinning face of Ino's ruin-Shikamaru's-day-by-plotting-evil-things accomplice. Chouji brushed off the dust on his pants and frowned.

"You really should clean once in awhile…" he commented distastefully. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Later! Now hurry up! We might lose him!"

Chouji held up his hands to slow her down.

"Relax! There's a tracking device on his cell so we'll know where he is" he said and flipped out his cell phone to prove his point. Ino could only stare at him with a mixture of amazement and confusion. Chouji held up his hands defensively before her look of amazement had the time to turn into a look of disgust.

"Don't look at me like that! I just had these installed on our phones so it was easier to find one another in case of emergencies…" he added uncomfortably. Clearing his throat Chouji opened the door and stepped out, muttering something about picking up the pace.

The genie gave him a skeptical look before following him out the door. She needed to catch up to Shikamaru before he got too far. If she was too far away from him she'd end up poofing back at the apartment…

Leaning against the railing Ino scanned the area outside to see if she could spot her lazy master from above. A smile crossed her features after seeing his usual pineapple style make its way down the busy street. She pointed a finger at his retreating back.

"There he is Chouji!" Ino declared before rushing down the stairwell, not even giving her accomplice time to chase after her.

X

O

X

Shikamaru stepped inside the dimly lit café and surveyed the tables to see if his guests had arrived.

Spotting a head of azure hair at the corner of the room he made his way over to the small table calmly.

"Yo" he greeted casually before taking a seat across from the girl.

Hinata looked up from her menu and gave him a smile. "Shikamaru-kun!"

The Nara heir sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you to drop the suffix?" he pointed out with mild annoyance, taking the menu from the waitress who had just arrived.

"You make me feel like I'm a little kid or something…"

Hinata smiled. "Is it not the truth?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes before giving the waitress his order. Hinata folded her arms across the table and leaned forward as they waited for their orders.

"I don't understand why you called me out here. I could've just stopped by your house…" Hinata explained.

An image of Ino's devious smirking face came to the boy's mind. Shikamaru cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Uh. Well…it's really…_messy_ there. I didn't think we'd be able to get anything done" he lied through his teeth. Hinata pursed her lips cutely before shaking her head with a laugh.

"Alright then, So…did you have any ideas for the presentation?"

Shikamaru smirked. A part of him glowing with pride.

"I always do. This'll be an easy grade trust me. I can't believe they're making us work in groups…I feel like I'm in high school all over again" he commented with mock disgust.

Hinata laughed and played with her straw in between her fingers.

"Yeah. But it's good practice. After all, we have to do presentations in the business world"

Shikamaru nodded and pulled out the manila folder he had brought along. He unclipped the folder and divided the papers into three neat piles.

"So I've already outlined most of the issues we'll cover for the presentation. All we need to do is--"

"Oi! I can't believe you started discussing the project without me!"

Both heads to turned at the same time and Hinata's eyes brightened.

"Temari-san!"

Temari smiled and made her way over to the two.

"Good afternoon Hime" she greeted with a smirk. She pushed Shikamaru aside and made room for herself. The blonde finally turned to him, giving Shikamaru a small nod, "Nara" she greeted monotonously. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, shifting his body to provide more room for himself.

Temari picked up the papers and skimmed them briefly. She whistled at the amount of effort Shikamaru had actually put into it.

"How unusual of you to get things done beforehand deer boy" Temari commented as her eyes roamed the many paragraphs in amazement.

Shikamaru felt the need to roll his eyes again. That was as close to a compliment he would get out of Temari. He propped his elbow on the counter and leant his cheek on the base of his palm.

"Yeah? Well don't get used to it" he retorted dryly. The blonde gave him a side glance before smiling behind the papers.

X

O

X

"You're frowning again"

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are"

"I'm really not"

"Yes. You _are_"

Ino slammed her menu down on the table.

The two partners in crime were currently seated outside the small patio of the café Shikamaru was in. Ino looked away from her master's table beyond the glass window and narrowed her eyes at Chouji.

"I am _**not**_ frowning!" she hissed quietly. Chouji gave her a blank look of disbelief but decided not to press the matter further.

Throwing Chouji one last glare Ino quietly hid her face from his line of vision by retreating behind her menu again. The genie's frown widened and she knitted her brows in annoyance.

_What the hell..? Why am I so irritated?_

Ino sneaked a peek at Shikamaru's table again and felt her annoyance rise. Sighing in irritation she reluctantly brought her eyes back to the menu and scanned it for something that would cheer her up. After all, the cause of this irritation was probably just her hunger. It was totally not because of the fact that her master was meeting up with the girl he loved and another girl who loved him.

Yup.

Totally not because of that.

Ino growled and tightened her grip on the menu impulsively. Chouji raised an inquisitive brow but ignored her angry expression nevertheless.

Instead, he tapped his fingers along the table rhythmically.

"So Ino...why are we stalking Shikamaru again?"

Ino immediately lowered her menu and narrowed her eyes.

"We are not _**stalking** _Shikamaru! We're just following him!" she snapped rudely.

It took Chouji all he had to not point out that they were basically the same thing. He knew better then to provoke her furthur...

Ino lowered her gaze towards her feet and closed her eyes in an effort to calm her nerves. She wasn't here to satisfy herself.

"I'm just here in case he has any wishes…" she muttered under her breath truthfully. Chouji looked up from his menu.

"Hm?"

"Nothing!"

Ino shook her head and snapped her fingers at the waiter standing a few yards away. "Hey! Can I have some tea over here?"

X

O

X

"So Nara…I hear you've got a girl" Temari suddenly brought up, taking a sip of her cola. Shikamaru flinched, not missing the unpleased tone in her voice.

"What? Who told you that?" he asked apathetically but found his answer once Hinata choked on her glass of water.

Temari raised a questioning brow.

"What? So it's true then?"

Shikamaru immediately frowned.

"Of course it's not, she's just a family friend" he retorted casually. For a moment he directed his eyes at Hinata accusingly.

Temari threw the boy a look of disbelief. Shikamaru groaned and massaged his temples.

"I'm telling you the truth Temari. Does it even look like I have time to deal with women right now?" he countered easily. When the blonde remained unconvinced he began to rub the back of his neck in frustration.

"Besides…" Shikamaru started quietly, having remembered a conversation with his genie earlier this week.

"_How many wishes do I have left?"_

_"Two left!"_

Shikamaru inwardly sighed. Despite Ino's happy-go-lucky answer he knew better then to believe her sugar-coated words. He knew loneliness when he saw it. And it annoyed him to no end knowing that Ino was lying to him for _his_ sake. What happened to the rude and blunt genie he had met two weeks ago?

"Shikamaru-kun?"

Hinata's voice snapped Shikamaru out of his stupor. He cleared his throat, pushing back the thoughts in his mind.

"...Ino's going to leave soon…she's just…here on vacation" he finished slowly.

Noticing Temari's suspicious stare Shikamaru sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. She and I are just friends. Trust me" he reassured flatly before Temari could get any ideas into her head. He knew how…_possessive_ Temari could get.

Even to things that weren't technically hers.

X

O

X

"..."

"Don't give me that look of pity" Ino snapped as she and Chouji stealthily exited the café after picking up their cakes by the display window near the register. To their good fortune the register stood in a different room then where Shikamaru's table was located.

Ino turned the corner of the café and flopped down in her seat with more force than necessary. She picked up her fork.

"What he said was right. We're not dating so you can save the pity for someone who needs it" Ino scoffed in annoyance. She looked away from her new friend and failed to notice the way she kept repeatedly stabbing her fork into her chocolate marble cake.

Chouji took a bite out of his cake.

"Yeah, but you—"

"And I don't wish we were dating either" the blonde snapped after easily reading his thoughts.

Chouji closed his mouth in shock. It was like she had read his mind or something!

Ino quietly stabbed at a piece of her now demolished cake and stuffed it into her mouth despite her already spoiled appetite. Her eyes flickered to the group of three inside the cafe.

She forcefully turned her gaze away with a frown.

_Stupid Shikamaru…pisses me off…_

Ino finally sighed and released the death grip on her fork. She wordlessly pushed her plate forward.

"Chouji…I'm going to abort today's mission. I'll talk to you later" she announced flatly and stood from her seat, making the chair scrape across the stone floor noisily. Chouji looked up from his cake and set his own fork down. He gave her a look of confusion.

"Uh, okay. I'll walk you back then" he offered politely.

Ino gave him a reassuring smile.

"No thanks. I can make it on my own..." Her eyes flickered to the cafe window and she looked away once again.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time" she laughed quietly.

With a small nod Ino turned to leave but stopped once she felt a massive wave of pain hit the back of her head. She stumbled from the sudden impact and placed her hand on the table. Her hand flew out to rest on her head to stop it from spinning.

Chouji stepped closer to Ino with a look of worry.

"You okay Ino?"

Ino nodded despite the pounding in her head. She gripped the tabletop harder, leaning her weight onto it for support. Chouji rested an uneasy hand on her shoulder. His eyes filled with worry.

"I think you should sit back down and rest for awhile Ino" He suggested when the blonde began panting from the pain. Ino winced and tried her best to fight off the loud ringing in her ears. She shook her head at Chouji and gently shrugged out of his reach.

"I'm fine" she managed to gasp and weakly waved her hand at him when he tried to stop her again.

"It's just…a little--" The genie forced through gritted teeth while trying to maintain her balance. She forced her body to stand on it's own and a small smile graced her lips.

"See? I'm totally fi--"

Chouji's hazel eyes flashed in alarm when Ino unexpectedly collapsed on the floor. He immediately jumped to her side in a panic.

"Oh shit! Ino!"

Chouji gently turned her over so he could see her face.

"Ino! Are you alright?!"

X

O

X

Temari looked up at the sound of loud chatter to see a small crowd gathering outside the patio of the café. She focused her eyes outside until a familiar face caught her eye.

"Hey, isn't that Chouji?" she pointed out, bringing Hinata and Shikamaru out of their conversation.

Shikamaru followed the blonde's gaze to see Chouji's back facing him. As the manager of the shop opened the café door to see what was going on Shikamaru heard Chouji's distinct voice filter the quiet shop.

"Ino! What's wrong?! Somebody call an ambulance!"

Before the two girls could even process the plea for help, Shikamaru had already leapt out of his seat, using the table as a step to get passed Temari. Hinata and Temari traded looks before clumsily getting out of their seats to follow Shikamaru.

Pushing the door open with a slam Shikamaru quickly pushed his way through the crowd. He was startled to find the unconcious blonde in his friend's arms. He quickly knelt down beside Ino's unconcious body.

"Chouji, what happened?!"

Chouji didn't even think about the fact that he and Ino had just blown their covers and instead threw his best friend a look of worry.

"I-I'm not sure. She started acting weird and then she suddenly fainted" he summarized quickly. Chouji shifted Ino in his arms and looked around. "Has anyone phoned the ambulance yet?!" he cried towards the crowd of people.

"Don't worry. They're on their way" a customer replied as he flipped his cell phone shut. Chouji gave a nod of thanks.

Shikamaru frowned when Ino's face twisted in pain and he moved closer to her.

"Chouji, let me take her to the hospital, it's faster that way. There's too much traffic in this area and it usually takes them forever to arrive" he suggested as he moved to gather Ino's limp body in his arms. Chouji made a move to protest but obliged once he saw the look on Shikamaru's face.

By this time Hinata and Temari had already made their way towards the front of the crowd. Hinata's eyes widened in shock once she saw the familiar blonde in Shikamaru's arms.

"Ino-san!" she cried.

Shikamaru stood and hastily pushed passed the girls, ignoring them both completely.

Temari's eyes followed him as he maneuvered through the crowd.

"Hey! Shikamaru!" she shouted after the boy after recovering from surprise. The blonde frowned and placed her hands on her hips when she recieved no response. She heard the distant cry of sirens not too far away.

"What's his problem? We could've just waited for the ambulance to arrive!" she stated harshly, a bit angry at him for pushing her out of the way. Hinata and Chouji remained silent and watched as Shikamaru turned the corner of a building.

X

O

X

Shikamaru spared Ino a glance as he hurried towards the hospital. He pressed his eyebrows together in worry.

_Her face is getting paler and her breathing is slowing…this doesn't look good._

Growling in frustration Shikamaru impatiently waited for the cars to stop so he could cross the street. When the sign blinked green he darted across the street, doing his best to avoid running into the civlians.

"Stop right there!"

Before Shikamaru could process what had just happened, he felt Ino's body disappear from his arms and he jerked his head around only to have it done in by someone's right hook. The impact stripped Shikamaru of his balance and he crashed against the sidewalk with a cry of pain. It took him a moment to regain his senses and when he did, he slowly raised his eyes towards the two figures that stood in front of him.

A girl with light pink hair stared him down coldly.

"That's what you get for hurting Ino" She declared angrily while her emerald orbs narrowed at the sight of him. The guy standing beside her shifted Ino in his arms and pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose calmly.

Shikamaru could only hold his jaw and stare at them in absolute confusion.

* * *

**_Tbc..._**

* * *

SHE LIVES! :D

edit 12/18


	6. Fourth Wish pt 3

Be sure to reread Fouth Wish pt 2 again because I totally revamped it!!

* * *

**_Fourth Wish Pt. III_**

Emerald eyes glared down upon a pair of clueless tawny ones.

Shikamaru could only open his mouth in shock as the girl jutted her lower lip in displeasure, giving him a distasteful sneer. Raising her arm she pointed her finger at him accusingly.

"You…you jerkface! I can't believe you would do such a thing to her!" she practically screamed as angry tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. The boy standing beside her sighed before analyzing Shikamaru from behind his dark shades. He turned his attention back to his partner.

"Sakura…" he addressed the girl softly.

The so-called Sakura girl immediately held her hand up to silent his interruption.

"Don't stop me Shino!" she argued icily. Shino didn't even have time to part his lips before she began her accusations again.

She turned her burning gaze back to Shikamaru.

"You--! This is why I hate you humans! Especially human MEN-- always taking advantage of women and doing whatever you please! It's sickening!"

Silence.

Shino let out a hollowed cough.

"Sakura…"

Shikamaru could only stare….

…again…

It amazed him how passerbyers could just ignore them completely. He was pretty sure these things didn't happen every day. Here he was, getting punched in the face by some weird pink haired chick and not even a single person had the care in the world to at least stop and witness it!

The jerks…

Fortunately, he had enough sense in him to realize that this wasn't the place to ponder so he tuned his ears back to reality.

"You're lucky there's a LAW for hurting humans or I would've killed your ass by now!"

He heard Shino give another sigh.

"…Sakura…"

But the girl continued…

"And If I _**ever**_ see you get near Ino again I swear to kami-sama that I will kick your scrawny ass to kingdom come you hear me?!"

"_**Sakura**_…"

The pinkette paused, finally taking notice of the partner behind her.

She eyed Shino wearily.

"_What_?"

"The magic--"

Before the boy could even finish his sentence, both he and his female companion vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving Ino's body free falling towards the concrete ground. Acting on instinct Shikamaru lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the girl protectively as they crash landed against the sidewalk.

Wincing from the impact Shikamaru sighed in relief once he realized Ino was unharmed. With a painful grunt he collapsed his head against the floor, raking his hand through his hair in deep thought. He closed his eyes and for a moment just wanted to forget the situation he had gotten himself into.

_Damn this troublesome girl…_he thought breathlessly.

Coughing at the large amount of smoke left by the two strangers, Shikamaru shifted Ino in his arms so her head was positioned comfortably against the crook of his neck.

He swatted at the smoke in a poor attempt to disperse it.

"What the hell just happened…?"

Shikamaru sat up and decided not to think too much on the matter. It'd only lead to more revelations and confusion. And that was a big no no in his book.

With another go at the smoke he stood and prepared to move once again.

"Shino! Why didn't you say so sooner?! Damnit! You good for nothing…"

"Why? Because you wouldn't let me say anything"

"Stop being so sarcastic all the time!"

"Stop being sarcastic? I'm not"

"There you go again!"

"Again? I've always spoken this way Sakura…"

"Ohhhh _**shut**_ _**up**_!"

Shikamaru could only stare.

Stare.

At the two five-inched versions of the people he had just encountered three seconds ago. Or at least, he was positive it was the same two people he had just encountered. The girl had the same distinctive pink hair except she was no longer wearing the simple tank and jeans as before. Instead, she wore a red short sleeve, off shoulder sundress with dark brown high heeled boots. The boy with the shades was dressed in a dark green jacket coupled with tan slacks. He also had on a long black scarf that covered the lower part of his face. Shikamaru noticed that on the back of the boy's jacket a design somewhat familiar to fairy wings was inscribed in silver.

Being the smarty he was, Shikamaru couldn't help but come up with one logical explanation for all of this. And hallucination was sadly not the answer here.

His hand came up to massage his temples in hopes of getting rid of his oncoming headache.

"I seriously don't need this…" he concluded after a moment of thinking. Like hell was he just going to allow himself to get involved with more magical _freaks_! The girl in his arms was more then enough…

Tearing his gaze away from the duo, he quickly lifted Ino in his arms and stalked off towards the direction of the hospital, ignoring the mini sized people-like creatures. Shikamaru didn't care if they were figments of his imagination or actual living breathing things. He didn't want to take the risk. His life had already turned a complete 180 just from meeting _her_.

And Shikamaru wasn't stupid. He obviously didn't want to stick around to find out what else could happen to his life after meeting her 'friends' (it was obvious they were acquaintances as far as he knew).

_I never saw a thing._ Shikamaru concluded quietly. _Not a single thing!_

And his mantra had been working too until…

"Hey you! Pineapple boy!"

_It's nothing. I hear nothing!_

"Don't you dare act like you can't hear me! Hey!"

_I don't hear a thing…_

"I know you can see me! My faerie dust rubbed off on you when I socked you in the face!!"

_Ignore her. __**Ignore **__**her**__…_

"Oiiii! Hey!"

He was so close!! Just three more steps until he'd turn the corner and be able to make a run for it!

"Do you _**really**_ think taking Ino to a hospital will help? Your human doctors will be useless!"

Sakura smirked when he stopped dead in his tracks. She had him where she wanted him.

Shikamaru clenched his jaw and mentally cursed. The pink-haired weirdo had a point.

Turning his head slightly he caught the provoking smirk painted across the girl's features and clenched his fists. Minutes passed before Shikamaru finally gave in. The nineteen year old turned and maneuvered his way off the sidewalk, ushering the two faeries to follow. It'd be better to find a place where they could attract less attention. He didn't want people thinking that he was talking to himself. All the weird stares would be too troublesome to deal with.

He stopped once they reached a less crowded area.

"Alright _**pinky**_, you have my attention"

The faerie forced a smile despite his rudeness.

"It would be best to take Ino back to your house so we can heal her first. We'll spare the introductions for later" she spat just as coldly.

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched at her attitude but he backed down nonetheless. She had a point (…_again_…). This wasn't the time or place to start a glaring contest.

Heaving out a sigh Shikamaru closed his eyes in a futile attempt to calm himself.

"Fine. Follow me…"

He made no attempt to hide his displeasure…

X

O

X

"She should be fine when she wakes up. This has happened before. It's nothing serious" Sakura asserted as she held out her small hands to Ino's forehead. The green glow from her hands disappeared and she lowered herself to stand beside Ino's pillow.

Shikamaru crossed his arms over his chest doubtfully.

"You sure about that?"

Sakura threw him a glare.

Shino sighed from his position beside Shikamaru. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Relax. Haruno knows what she's doing"

Despite Shino's reassurance, Shikamaru couldn't help but worry. After all, who in their right mind would trust a person who had just _**punched**_ him ten minutes ago??

Shikamaru snapped out of his thoughts when the bruise on his cheek began to throb painfully. _Speaking of getting punched…_He thought bitterly.

He bit back a hiss of pain and touched a hand to his swollen cheek.

"Damnit…" Shikamaru muttered as he felt the large bump left by the crazy faerie. He turned without a word and made his way over to the door.

"I guess I have no choice but to take your word for it. I'll be back to check on her after I put some _ice_ on this" he excused himself crossly, not forgetting to throw Sakura a glare before leaving the room. Sakura returned the glare as the door closed behind him.

She let her gaze linger before turning back to Ino.

"He's different from the others" Shino analyzed aloud, repositioning his sunglasses on his face carefully.

Sakura sighed and flew over to the beds' headboard, taking a seat just above Ino's sleeping form.

"That's true. But we can't mark him as harmless just yet. And even if he was, it doesn't change the reason why we came here"

For a moment Shino remained silent.

"Then I suppose we must bring her back by all means necessary" he concluded calmly.

Sakura nodded. Her eyes reflected with sadness as she watched the sleeping girl.

"It's just--…I just don't want to see her hurt anymore…you know...?" she quietly added, not really expecting an answer from her partner.

A tense stillness filled the room until Shino parted his lips. For a brief moment his gaze flickered to Ino.

"I agree"

X

O

X

Shikamaru sighed, straightening the rectangular glasses that fitted nicely on the bridge of his nose. His eyes wandered away from his laptop screen to stare at the two girls in his living room.

Where did he go wrong in his life to deserve this?

Ino, who was now back to normal (Shikamaru was still having mixed feelings about this), was currently chatting away with a human sized Sakura about how happy she was that the faerie would be staying over for the next couple of days. Before the decision was made final Shikamaru had done his part by interjecting coldly, stating that Ino was fine and he was capable of making sure she would take care of herself from now on. Sakura had responded with a long rant about something or the other and an hour later he found himself agreeing to her demands.

It was then that he had concluded that women, be it human or magical creature, were indeed scary and impractical individuals.

And that he would never again try to win a battle against them.

EVER.

Especially ones that possessed strong magical powers unknown to man…

With a slight shudder he turned his gaze toward Shino who was quietly perusing through his collection of books. He shook his head with displeasure. His house was being invaded by fairytale characters!

And he never even _liked_ fairytales to begin with!

From across the living room a pair of sapphire eyes softened. A small giggle escaped Ino's lips as she watched Shikamaru start to bang his forehead against the desk repeatedly.

Ino's fleeting look did not go unnoticed by her friend. Sakura frowned. She noticed from the corner of her eyes that Shino too had also caught the one-sided exchange between the two. Glancing at the stupid human again Sakura clenched her fists.

She cleared her throat, gaining Ino's attention once again.

"Ino" she began quietly.

Shino closed the book in his palm and placed it back on the shelf.

Sakura raised her eyes to the blonde slowly.

"There's something we need to talk to you about…in private" she finished, watching Shino nod his head at the direction of the bedroom.

X

O

X

Ino closed the door to her room gently, letting it click softly behind her.

She smiled at her two friends who were now back in their original sizes.

Sakura had to hide her look of disgust. It was obvious that the human's affect on Ino was strong enough to block her other thoughts. The Ino she had come to known would have already caught on to the graveness of the situation.

"So guys, what is this 'important' thing you wanted to talk to me about?" she inquired curiously. She walked over to her vanity mirror and conjured up a comb using her magic. Humming happily she began to brush her golden tresses as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Sakura gave Shino a look of remorse but decided against backing out now. She cleared her throat in a poor attempt to stall for time. Shino gave her a reassuring nod and the faerie made her way to Ino's side. She quietly landed on Ino's table, fiddling with the hem of her dress with uneasiness.

"Well…" she began slowly.

"…there's actually…a _reason_ why we came to visit you…Ino"

Ino turned when she sensed the traces of faerie magic at work. She watched as Shino placed a barrier around the whole room, preventing any outsider from hearing their conversation.

Ino placed her brush down quietly. She looked from Sakura to Shino.

"And what's that?" she asked with a tone of seriousness.

Sakura matched her gaze and any thoughts of regret she previously contained flooded from her mind. Her green eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak.

"That putrid human…you need to--"

"I asked you for the _reason_, not for some damn evaluation!" Ino cut off sharply.

Sakura flinched at the coldness in Ino's voice.

"Ino…just hear me out…I'm just trying to--"

"We're here to take you back" Shino's voice cut in abruptly. Sakura turned to give her partner a glare.

"It's no use Haruno. You know she detests it when you stall" he calmly remarked.

Ino glowered at the two.

"Take me back? What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed.

"We were told to take you back with us. Tsunade-sama is worried about your health"

"I'm perfectly fine Sakura! She doesn't need to worry about me!"

Sakura gave her a look.

"You are _not _fine Ino! You've been blacking out more then usual lately. I'm afraid it's because you've been exposed to the human world for too long…"

Ino looked at her as if she'd gone mad.

"It is _not_ because of that Sakura and you know it! And anyways, I'm not a faerie so I don't have to listen to whatever Tsunade has to say!"

Sakura scowled darkly.

"It is us faeries who populate most of the magical world Ino. In a sense, Tsunade-sama has control over most of the realm" she countered easily.

Ino looked away stubbornly.

"That's a load of crap. I don't know if you two noticed, but we genies tend to listen to no one but our masters" she muttered bitterly.

"The rules say that I have to remain with my master until he has made his five wishes"

Sakura knitted her brows in anger.

"Then why don't you just grant them so you can return home?"

Ino casually flipped her ponytail behind her shoulder.

"Shikamaru hasn't thought of any wishes yet. I'm just waiting for his orders" The genie replied truthfully. She yawned and stood from her seat, heading straight towards the door.

"If that's all you wanted to talk about then I'm leaving now. I'm not going to abandon my duties towards my master…" she concluded crossly.

"…love him---you?"

Ino paused in front of the door, having missed Sakura's question.

"What?"

Shino turned his gaze towards Sakura, having heard her words.

The room remained silent until Ino shook her head.

"I don't have time for this" she explained with annoyance, reaching for the doorknob.

"You love him don't you?"

The genie stopped in her tracks.

Sakura cast her eyes towards the floor.

"That's why you won't come back. You've fallen for that human and you don't want to leave…"

"Haruno…" Shino warned. Sakura was treading on thin ice...

Sakura crossed her arms under her chest.

"Admit it Ino. You've done the unthinkable and fallen in love with him…"

Ino slowly removed her hand from the brass knob. She let out a hollowed chuckle.

"….you're wrong…"

Ino closed her eyes, her back still facing the two faeries.

"I can't- no…I'm _**not**_ going to fall in love with him. So you don't need to worry about that." she softly added.

Sakura pressed her brows together. Ino must have missed the pleading tone in her voice just then.

"Don't lie to us Ino. This is exactly why we've come for you. If you get involved with that human any longer you'll--!"

"Is that it?!" Ino cut off icily. She turned her body around to glare at her friend.

"Is that the real reason why Tsunade sent you? Just to let me know where I stand? How many centuries do you think I've done this job Sakura?! For god's sake my relationship with him isn't any different then what I had with my other masters! Just because he's a little nicer than the rest of them doesn't give you the right to think that I'd just drop to the ground and kiss his fucking feet!"

Sakura's expression hardened and she flew towards Ino, changing into her human self instantly. The faerie marched up to the blonde and shoved her against the door, pulling on the front of her shirt roughly. She stared into Ino's eyes.

"You're lying Ino-pig! How many centuries do you think I'VE known _you_? Your relationship with him has progressed too far! You need to forget about granting his wishes and come back with us so your condition doesn't worsen! We're only worried about your health Ino! Why can't you understand?"

Ino pried Sakura's hand off of her and pushed her away.

"No, I do understand! I understand that you two don't know me at all! I am not going to just leave my master's side without fulfilling all of his wishes! What the hell kind of a genie would I be to do that? You know that I hold pride in what I do Sakura, so don't even bother talking me out of it because I've made up my mind!" she angrily concluded, practically ripping the door open in one quick motion.

Shino reluctantly released his magic while Sakura marched after the girl in fury.

"Ino!" she called after the blonde as she exited the room.

Shikamaru looked up from his laptop screen to see the blonde noisily trudging towards him. He examined the angered expression on her face and raised a curious brow. Before he could even ask her what was wrong he felt her hand forcibly pull him out of his seat.

"Hey! What the hell?! Ino!" he managed to call when she started to lead him towards his front door. He could hear Sakura's angry footsteps closing in from behind.

"Just shut up and come with me" she snapped angrily.

And oddly, for some stupid reason Shikamaru found himself obeying his genie. He quickly shut his mouth and let her wordlessly pull him out of his apartment. Shikamaru thought he had heard Sakura calling out to Ino but the voice became muffled after the blonde slammed the front door shut.

Sakura gave a small frustrated scream from the other side of the door and quickly yanked it open.

"Ino-pig!"

Shino raised an inquisitive brow when he saw Sakura stop just in front of the front door. When his partner made no attempt to move he quietly peered over her shoulder.

Ino and that human were nowhere to be found.

X

O

X

Sakura clenched her jaw, flying pass the humans as fast as she could in order to catch up with Ino. Beside her Shino remained his calm self.

"Where the hell could she have gone? Do you think she forced that stupid human to wish them away?" she asked her partner snippily.

Shino fixed his shades calmly.

"That is possible…"

Sakura gritted her teeth, the gears in her head forming a new plan.

"Let's split up Shino, you go left and I go right" she ordered before taking an immediate right. Shino sighed but obliged nonetheless. Without a second thought he turned in the opposite direction of the girl. It was too late to argue anyway.

The faerie let out an annoyed sigh.

"Tsunade-sama should allow me the privilege of changing partners…" he muttered after a moment of thought.

Suddenly, Shino stopped.

The reason being that he realized that some stupid moron had just discarded their gum conveniently onto his back.

Shino remained unnaturally calm and stopped in his flight, landing on the small steps of a nearby pet shop.

"…"

Without as much as a complaint the faerie began to pick off the disgusting thing.

Five tries and twenty minutes later Shino had already done away with most of the stretchy chewing gum. To be honest, he was more worried about what Haruno would do to him if she found him "slacking".

Shino gave a small sigh of relief once he had all of the gum removed. He examined the back of his jacket carefully. With a small nod of acceptance he pulled the jacket over his head. With another soft sigh he fixed his shades, ready to take off once again.

But before he had time to even lift his feet off the concrete ground, he felt a wet sensation coat his entire body, leaving it sticky and well..._unpleasant_.

A dog bark was heard.

"Eh? Akamaru? What's in your mouth boy?"

Shino had never had such a strong urge to go home until now.

* * *

**_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays guys!_** Thank you so much for all of your support and reviews!

Hopefully I can get Usotsuki out next week since I have no school! ;)


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